Newly installed Liberal Democratic Party chief Fumio Kishida officially unveiled the ruling party's new executive lineup Friday, elevating a close ally of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the No. 2 role while also naming a junior lawmaker, Tatsuo Fukuda, to lead the party's highest decision-making body in a move some described as reckless.
Kishida tapped former trade minister and influential 12-term lawmaker Akira Amari, who belongs to the party's Aso faction, to be secretary-general. Amari, 72, is close to both Abe and Finance Minister Taro Aso and is a champion of the Abenomics economic policy package. He also played an important role in Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations and is known as an expert in tax policy, having served as the chair of the party’s Research Commission on the Tax System.
Kishida cited Amari’s ability to negotiate and integrate various opinions within the party as a credential for his appointment.