Abe’s new cabinet is much like the old

Posted on : 2007-08-28 10:57 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Following his recent defeat in upper house elections, Abe moves to salvage his political fate

“Still, it fails to dispel concerns over (Abe’s) image of politics with friends and allies.”

Koichi Kato, a former secretary-general of Japan’s governing Liberal Democratic Party, expressed this cold-hearted assessment of the new cabinet formed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Abe announced the makeup of the new cabinet on Monday, after having suffered from a landslide defeat in the July 29 elections in the upper house of Parliament. Abe has appointed several heavyweights from the governing party to salvage his political fate amid his sinking approval ratings. However, Kato, who has been dubbed the leader of the LDP’s liberal faction, pointed out that the new cabinet is filled with politicians with ideological and historical views similar to Abe’s own, when compared to the previous one.

Since September of last year, Abe has been accused of forming a so-called “buddy-buddy cabinet” by appointing his friends and allies. Several members of the previous cabinet were entangled in scandals involving political funds or verbal mistakes, leading some of them to the brink of resignation. Outwardly, Abe has appeared to have strengthened his internal leadership by appointing representatives of the LDP’s minor factions to various positions in the new cabinet. However, some analysts disagree and say that the makeup of the new cabinet underscores Abe’s management style, which focuses on ideology and uses his close allies. The new cabinet’s top positions, such as those of foreign minister, chief cabinet secretary and secretary-general of the LDP, were taken by recognizable faces from Abe’s faction, minority representatives and independent figures, in an apparent bid to maintain his political power.

The new cabinet is also representative of Abe’s attitude toward the former foreign minister Taro Aso, who was appointed as secretary-general of the LDP. Since North Korea’s missile launches and first-ever nuclear test last year, Abe has been in tune with Aso. In addition, Abe and Aso both share a negative view of the Tokyo court against war criminals, the creation of which was a starting point for post-war Japan. Some political observers say that Aso was appointed to the post because he is widely anticipated to be the successor should Abe choose to resign.

Citing a senior member of the Koga faction, the LDP’s third-largest political faction, Japan’s Mainichi Daily reported: “It’s not the attitude of the whole party. Discontent may rise in the future.”

In particular, the appointment of Executive Deputy Secretary-General Nobuteru Ishihara, the son of far-right Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, has drawn criticism. An official of the Tanigaki faction pointed out that “Ishihara is viewed as extremely modern and market-oriented. So, the task is how he will overcome such an image.”

Some analysts say that Abe has failed to make an effort to soothe anti-LDP sentiment in local and rural areas, where voters brought about Abe’s devastating loss in the elections in protest against the “Koizumi-way of restructuring.”

Analysts say the new cabinet is not likely to contain any political surprises because most of Abe’s political allies have filled the posts. Further, the cabinet does not evoke any fresh impressions, when compared with the “surprise appointments” favored by Abe’s predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi.

Political veterans who are critical of Abe, such as former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda and former Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki, were not appointed. Only Yoichi Masuzoe, who called for Abe to resign after the July elections, was included in the new cabinet.

Japan’s modern politics show that three Japanese governments have collapsed in the aftermath of cabinet reshuffling. So, if the newly-appointed cabinet members become mired in public squabbles, analysts say that the new cabinet will facilitate Abe’s demise.