Abe Plans to Retain Suga, Nikai in Current Posts: Sources

September 13, 2018

Tokyo- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to retain Yoshihide Suga as chief cabinet secretary and Toshihiro Nikai as Liberal Democratic Party secretary-general if he wins the Sept. 20 LDP leadership election, informed sources said Wednesday.

Suga has held the post since Abe came back as prime minister in 2012, while Nikai led the party to revise an internal rule so that Abe can run for a third consecutive term as party president in the upcoming poll.

Abe may also keep Taro Aso as deputy prime minister and finance minister, with Japan set to host a summit of the Group of 20 major economies next year, according to the sources.

Abe, who appears to be maintaining a sizable lead in the party race, now plans to reshuffle his cabinet and the LDP executive team in early October, after the Sept. 30 gubernatorial election in Okinawa Prefecture and a convention of Komeito, the LDP's junior coalition partner, the same day.

Meanwhile, an extraordinary session of the Diet, Japan's parliament, is likely to be convened on Oct. 26 or 29. The government is considering an extra budget following recent severe natural disasters, the sources said. Jiji Press