Candidates haven't been selected yet to succeed Bank of Japan Gov. Toshihiko Fukui when his term expires in March, the government's top spokesman said Friday.
"We aren't considering specific names yet," Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said at a news briefing.
Machimura was being asked about remarks made by a top opposition official rejecting Deputy Gov. Toshiro Muto, the favorite among economists to replace Fukui, as a candidate. Finance Minister Fukushiro Nukaga also declined comment on who should become governor, only saying Fukui's successor should have knowledge of monetary policy and global financial markets.
Katsuya Okada, a former head of the Democratic Party of Japan, said Muto may not be the best choice for the post because he used to work at the Finance Ministry, the Mainichi newspaper reported Friday.
The government may have difficulty appointing a new governor because the opposition controls the Upper House, giving it the power to block appointments made by the Lower House, which is controlled by the Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling coalition. The DPJ opposed the appointment of Muto as deputy five years ago.
Machimura said last week the government would begin the selection process for the new BOJ chief next month.