Mr. Taro Aso was chosen as the nation's 92nd prime minister by the Diet and immediately formed his Cabinet on Wednesday. For Mr. Aso, a grandson of the late former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida and a son-in-law of the late former Prime Minister Zenko Suzuki, this should be an auspicious occasion.
Deviating from tradition, Mr. Aso read out his list of Cabinet members himself and answered questions from reporters in an effort to impress a fresh image of his Cabinet on people. But Mr. Aso should not forget that he has taken power at a time when the nation finds itself in difficult straits.
Mr. Aso's ascendancy to power comes as people's trust in the Liberal Democratic Party has fallen after two successive LDP prime ministers suddenly stepped down within a span of about one year. People's worries about their lives have also deepened because of such problems as the government's sloppy handling of pension records, pressure on the social security system due to the graying population, a shortage of doctors, especially obstetricians, the economic downturn, and the financial crisis in the United States.
The new Cabinet also needs to overcome the negative effects of the market principle-first policy line initiated by former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi — such as widening economic disparities, the worsening of local economies and the increase in the number of irregularly employed workers.
Prime Minister Aso should first pass a supplementary budget for fiscal 2008 to help the nation wade through the economic downturn. Next will come dissolution of the Lower House to hold general elections — a step Mr. Aso and the LDP need in order to get a mandate from the voters. His two predecessors — former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda — had no such mandate.
Although Mr. Aso won big in the LDP presidential election by grabbing two-thirds of the vote, there is no guarantee that he will be able to lead the party to a victory in the general elections unless he can convince voters that his Cabinet can solve the problems the nation is facing.
In forming the new LDP leadership and the Cabinet, Mr. Aso appointed people close to him and tried to create harmony. In short, he formed a setup that's easy for him to manage and lead. He chose Mr. Hiroyuki Hosoda, a member of the faction led by former Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura, as the LDP's new secretary general while retaining the three other top party officials. Mr. Aso, who heads a small faction in the LDP, needs cooperation from the Machimura faction, the largest faction, and sought continuity.
Mr. Aso appointed Mr. Shoichi Nakagawa as finance minister and Mr. Akira Amari as state minister in charge of administrative reform. Both strongly supported Mr. Aso in the LDP presidential election. Like Mr. Aso, Mr. Nakagawa is for adopting aggressive fiscal policy measures to help buoy the economy.
Mr. Aso reappointed five Cabinet members from the Fukuda administration. Among them are Mr. Yoichi Masuzoe, labor, health and welfare minister; Mr. Kaoru Yosano, state minister in charge of economic and fiscal policy; and Ms. Seiko Noda, state minister in charge of consumer affairs.
Mr. Aso cannot dispense with Mr. Masuzoe because of his experience in tackling mounting problems in the field of social welfare, including pensions and medical services. Toward the end of the LDP presidential election campaign, both Mr. Masuzoe and Mr. Aso announced a proposal to review the unpopular health insurance scheme for people aged 75 or over. But this move could backfire if people take it as a carrot merely to get votes in the coming elections.
Mr. Yosano was a contender in the LDP presidential election. Mr. Aso apparently wants him to lend his expertise in working out economic policy. The prime minister also appointed Mr. Shigeru Ishiba, another contender in the race and former defense minister, as farm minister. The retention of Ms. Noda shows his determination to give finishing touches to the creation of a Consumer Agency, a pet idea of Mr. Fukuda.
Since education is a field Mr. Aso is interested in, he appointed five former education ministers as members of his Cabinet. Among them is Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone. In an attempt to give a fresh face to the Cabinet, Mr. Aso appointed Ms. Yuko Obuchi as state minister in charge of population and gender equality. At 34, she is the youngest Cabinet minister in the postwar years.
The new prime minister should realize that Mr. Fukuda's sudden resignation and the subsequent LDP presidential race cost the nation precious time in coping with pressing problems. His Cabinet should tackle the problems with speed.
Mr. Aso must do his best to get cooperation from opposition forces to work out necessary measures, and to engage the Democratic Party of Japan leader Mr. Ichiro Ozawa in Diet debate to help people make a choice in the coming elections.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.