Abe's Cabinet lineup eyes long-term rule of LDP

Source:Xinhua Published: 2012-12-26 17:59:34

As Shinzo Abe became Japan's new prime minister and has formed his new cabinet, it marks that Abe will lead the country for a second time.

For the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), after three years of being main opposition, Abe's victory is the best time for it to seek a stable and long-term rule as Japanese are deeply disappointed in the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ).

However, what Abe faces is a Japan of economic stagnancy and diplomatic dilemma. Therefore, the priority for the new government is to turn the whole situation round and gain more support from the public so as to grab a victory in next summer's upper house election.

The new cabinet is a powerful one which Abe calls a "crises breaker". The new lineup comprises many veteran politicians such as former Prime Minister Taro Aso, who takes the posts of vice prime minister, financial minister and financial services minister, and the new Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga.

With abundant political experience, Aso is Abe's important ally that shares similar political views with the prime minister. Taking charge of the financial sector, Aso would probably give the green light to Abe's economic and financial policies.

As for Suga, the 64-year-old politician is considered as Abe's crucial "think tanker" and helped Abe defeat Nobutero Ishihara and Hayashi Yoshimasa in the latest LDP presidential election.

The Cabinet also includes other heavyweights such as the LDP's former leader Tanigaki Sadakazu and Hayashi Yoshimasa.

To some extent, the arrangement is aimed at striking a balance within the LDP and would achieve cohesion in the cabinet so as to reduce blocks when implementing Abe's policies.

With a strong lineup, Abe needs to make some achievement as soon as possible in order to improve views of the public of the LDP and prepare for the next summer's upper house election in a bid to earn the party a relatively stable long-term rule.

For Abe, his victory could be attributed to the failure of the DPJ, which did not realize the policies that were promised. Therefore, Abe has to draw lessons from the DPJ and fulfill his promises.

On Tuesday, the LDP and its ally, the New Komeito Party, agreed to form a coalition government and both sides also agreed to fight the country's prolonged deflation by setting a 2-percent inflation target and adopting more quantitative easing policies.

The two parties also agreed to push forward approvals of a supplementary budget bill for the 2012 fiscal year and a budget bill for the 2013 fiscal year in the Diet so as to revitalize Japan's anemic economy.

Better and tangible progress in economy would gain more applause from Japanese public, who will decide which party can secure more seats in the House of Councillors.

To win the upper house election, Abe also chose two female in his LDP's leadership lineup for the first time in its history with a view to garnering more support from female voters.

If the LDP wins the election, it will pave the way for Abe to carry out his political pledges -- upgrading Japan's Self-Defense Forces to a national army and revising the country's pacifist constitution.

As to foreign policies, the new government is expected to become more pragmatic as tensions between Japan and its neighboring countries have scratched Japan's interests. Abe also planned to send envoys to China, South Korea and Russia to mend the fences.

However, relations with the United States remain the core of Japan's foreign policies. Japan is an important part in US Asia strategy to help the super-power reinforce its presence in the Asia-Pacific region.

For Japan, it also needs protection from the United States under the Japan-US Security Treaty.

If the new government could achieve significant progress both in domestic and diplomatic fronts, the LDP would secure a solid base for its rule and may smash the circle of frequently changed governments.

Posted in: Asia-Pacific

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