Japan PM-in-waiting begins forming Cabinet
The veteran politician selected by Japan's troubled ruling party as its pick for prime minister chose his right-hand men today.
Yasuo Fukuda, the 71-year-old son of a prime minister and a former deputy to two premiers, easily won yesterday's vote for president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, a position that ensures his election as prime minister in parliament tomorrow.
Today, Fukuda picked three men with Cabinet experience for top party posts.
Education Minister Bunmei Ibuki, 69, was tapped to replace Fukuda's opponent in the party leadership race, Taro Aso, as secretary-general.
Former Trade Minister Toshihiro Nikai, 68, was named as chairman of the General Council, while former Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki, 62, becomes the party's policy chief.
The selections were all heads of internal party factions that supported him in the race.
Fukuda's opponent, Taro Aso, had been critical of the party's factional politics, whose power outgoing premier Shinzo Abe and his charismatic predecessor Junichiro Koizumi had sought to diminish.
The new LDP president faces daunting challenges: The upper house of parliament is dominated by the opposition, and sentiment is growing in favour of snap elections that could endanger the LDP's grip on the lower house.
As prime minister, Fukuda has said he will aim to improve ties with Asia, maintain Japan's pro-US foreign policy by extending a naval mission in support of Western forces in Afghanistan, and provide assistance to rural areas left behind by the economic recovery.
He also vowed to rebuild the LDP's popularity, which has plunged under a year of scandals and policy missteps by Abe, who has been in hospital with stress-related stomach problems since announcing on September 12 that he would resign.
