Mori takes on board two ex-PMs

By F.J. Khergamvala

TOKYO, DEC. 5. In an effort to extend his political life as Prime Minister, Mr. Yoshiro Mori today got the former Prime Minister, Mr. Ryutaro Hashimoto to join his new Cabinet line-up. With the 81-year-old Mr. Kiichi Miyazawa, a Prime Minister twice, also retained in the Cabinet, Mr. Mori has included the top figures of all factions of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, either in the Cabinet or as top officials in the party.

Mr. Mori himself, Mr. Hashimoto, Mr. Yohei Kono, the Foreign Minister, Mr. Masahiko Koumura, the former Foreign Minister and now Justice Minister, are de facto heads of factions. Mr. Shizuka Kamei, the joint head of another faction stays on as Chairman of the Policy Research Council, one of the LDP's three top officials. Mr. Miyazawa, who has long since handed over the formal leadership of his faction to Mr. Koiichi Kato, who led the anti-Mori rebellion last month, has been rewarded for his loyalty to Mr. Mori. Likewise, guided by his inclination to reward loyalists rather than risk being bold by bringing in fresh minds, Mr. Mori appointed Mr. Makoto Koga as Secretary-General of the LDP, in place of Mr. Hiromu Nonaka who resigned last week. Mr. Koga, like Mr. Miyazawa belongs to the Kato faction but did not follow Mr. Kato's lead in trying to overthrow Mr. Mori.

The 15-member line-up, including Mr. Mori, has a sprinkling of inductions from the LDP's coalition partners, the New Komeito and the New Conservative Party. The Environment Minister, Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi is an unelected and unaffiliated member of the Cabinet. The small size of the Cabinet reflects the scheduled reorganisation of the central Government, effective from January 6, next calendar year. The 23 ministries, including the Prime Minister's office are to be trimmed to 12 plus the Cabinet Office.

Mr. Hashimoto, 63, the Prime Minister from January 1996 to July 1998, will now be Administrative Reform Minister, a job that should tax his considerable experience and relative youth. It is interesting that Mr. Hashimoto accepted. Behind the scenes, even before the anti-Mori revolt failed, Mr. Hashimoto's faction was known to be clamouring for Mr. Mori's resignation to occur not too late after the failed attempt at ousting Mr. Mori. It is unclear at this stage if Mr. Hashimoto's inclusion in the Cabinet is part of some undisclosed deal. Is Mr. Hashimoto himself interested in a second shot at the job, before the Upper House elections to be held in summer next year? Mr. Hashimoto was forced to quit as leader of the LDP and Prime Minister in the summer of 1998 after the LDP suffered a humiliating setback the last time the country went to the polls to elect half of its Upper House. Thus, both the Prime Ministers inducted are those that the public has rejected.

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Section  : International
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