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Japan's Aso reshuffles Cabinet to boost ratings

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-07-01 23:43

Japanese leader reshuffles Cabinet

TOKYO: Japan's increasingly unpopular prime minister appointed two ruling party legislators to Cabinet posts Wednesday in a largely cosmetic measure to relieve the burden on over-worked ministers and boost his ratings among voters.

Japan's Aso reshuffles Cabinet to boost ratings

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso attends a lower house administration committee session in Tokyo June 24, 2009. [Agencies]

Yoshimasa Hayashi, 48, a Harvard-educated former defense minister, was appointed minister in charge of economic and fiscal policy. Motoo Hayashi, 62, who is not related to the other new minister, became minister in charge of national public safety, a post that he has served in before.

Chief government spokesman Takeo Kawamura said the appointments would become effective Thursday.

The Cabinet positions were previously held by ministers who each handled more than one portfolio. Prime Minister Taro Aso said the appointments were intended to relieve their workload.

"We feel that these change were needed to make for a proper Cabinet," Aso told reporters on nationally televised news.

Aso has been fighting to cling to his job amid public disenchantment over the economic downturn and political scandals. Support ratings for Aso's Cabinet fell to the single digits in February before recovering to around 20 percent in response to scandals involving opposition leaders.

Asked by a reporter if the reshuffle could improve his popularity, Aso responded, "That is not for me to decide."

Mizuho Fukushima, leader of the opposition Social Democratic Party, said the reshuffle was mere posturing and practically meaningless, coming just weeks before elections that are due by September.

"The Aso government is already at the terminal stage and is falling apart. What is the reshffule for at the last minute?" she said.

Japanese media have speculated that Aso might change the leadership in his ruling Liberal Democratic Party, roles that are separate from but more powerful than ministers.

Kyodo News agency said Aso had to scrap plans to change the top party posts after facing opposition from party heavyweights, underscoring discordance in the party and his waning influence.

Vowing to back Aso at a tough time, the newly-appointed economy and fiscal minister, Hayashi, said: "The economic and political situation is difficult. We must make sincere effort and propose good policies."

The main opposition Democratic Party, fighting scandals of its own, has not been able to loosen the grip on power of the LDP, which has ruled Japan almost continuously for more than half a century.