Abe re-elected prime minister, retains all ministers

November 1, 2017

TOKYO- Shinzo Abe, president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, was reelected prime minister by both chambers of the Diet at plenary meetings Wednesday, when a special parliamentary session opened following the Oct. 22 general election.

Abe decided to retain all cabinet ministers he appointed three months ago. His new cabinet will be launched later in the day, following an Imperial investiture ceremony for him and an attestation ceremony for the ministers at the Imperial Palace.

Abe is set to instruct government staff to draw up a supplementary budget for the current fiscal year through next March, to accelerate economic recovery.

"We will produce results, with a deep sense of responsibility and mission," Abe told a party meeting prior to the Diet meetings.

In the vote by the 465-seat House of Representatives, Abe was supported by 312 Lower House members. Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan chief Yukio Edano came next with 60 votes, followed by Shu Watanabe of the Party of Hope with 51 votes and Democratic Party leader Kohei Otsuka with 16 votes. Among other Lower House members, Japanese Communist Party head Kazuo Shii earned 12 votes.

In the 242-seat House of Councillors, Abe won 151 votes, followed by the DP's Otsuka with 48 votes and the JCP's Shii with 14 votes. Among other Upper House lawmakers, the CDPJ's Edano garnered nine votes and Watanabe of the Party of Hope three votes.

Before the votes, Tadamori Oshima of the LDP was reelected speaker of the powerful lower chamber of the Diet. Hirotaka Akamatsu of the CDPJ, which became the chamber's top opposition group in the general election, was picked as vice speaker.

Earlier on Wednesday, representatives of the ruling and opposition camps agreed that the special Diet session will run for 39 days until Dec. 9. The ruling bloc earlier planned to hold the session only for eight days and extend it as necessary.

The agreement reflected the ruling bloc's eagerness to avert claims of arrogance against the administration, which was criticized for rough handling of Diet affairs.

The opposition camp, meanwhile, is demanding testimony by sworn witnesses on the Abe administration's alleged favoritism for school operators Moritomo Gakuen, once linked to Abe's wife, Akie, and Kake Educational Institution, whose head is a friend of the prime minister.

The ruling bloc plans to schedule a policy speech by Abe for Nov. 17, after his upcoming visit to Vietnam and the Philippines. Jiji Press

TOKYO- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (R) talks with Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Seiko Noda (L) during the opening session of the Lower House to name new prime minister following the 22 October election, in Tokyo, Japan, 01 November 2017. Jiji Press