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Yoshihide Suga confirmed as Japan prime minister as Abe defends 'proud' legacy Yoshihide Suga confirmed as Japan prime minister as Abe defends 'proud' legacy
(about 2 hours later)
MPs approve Suga as PM, as outgoing leader promises support for successor who vowed to continue his policiesMPs approve Suga as PM, as outgoing leader promises support for successor who vowed to continue his policies
Yoshihide Suga has been installed as Japan’s prime minister, after the lower house of parliament approved his appointment as successor to Shinzo Abe. Yoshihide Suga has been installed as Japan’s prime minister and promised a “reform-minded, hard-working” cabinet as the outgoing leader, Shinzo Abe, defended his record.
The 71-year-old, who served as Abe’s right-hand man, has promised to continue with his predecessor’s economic policies as he attempts to steer Japan out of a deep recession and bring the coronavirus pandemic under control less than a year before Tokyo is hoping to host a postponed summer Olympics. The 71-year-old Suga, who served as Abe’s right-hand man for almost eight years, has promised to leave economic policy largely unchanged as he attempts to steer Japan out of a deep recession and bring the coronavirus pandemic under control less than a year before Tokyo is hoping to host a postponed summer Olympics.
Abe, whose support was critical in ensuring Suga’s victory in the race to lead the governing party this week, entered the prime minister’s office on the last day of his tenure and thanked the people of Japan, vowing to support the incoming government as a regular member of parliament. Displaying no emotion, Suga bowed deeply several times in the lower house of parliament on Tuesday as fellow Liberal Democratic party [LDP] MPs applauded. His appointment was later confirmed in the upper house.
Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, who retired on health grounds after almost eight years in office, said he was “proud” of his legacy. Suga’s image as the Abe continuity choice was reinforced when he retained about half of the previous cabinet, leaving key roles such as foreign and finance minister unchanged. Just two of the 19 cabinet members are women, and their average age is 60.
In a reshuffle of senior positions in the LDP, Suga evenly allocated them to members of key factions to repay their support for his leadership bid.
There was representation, too, for the Abe family, with Shinzo Abe’s younger brother, Nobuo Kishi, appointed defence minister.
Abe, whose support was critical in ensuring Suga’s victory in the race to lead the governing party, entered the prime minister’s office on the last day of his tenure and thanked the people of Japan, vowing to support the incoming government as a regular MP.
Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, who retired on health grounds after almost eight years in office, said he was “proud” of his legacy.
“I devoted my body and soul for the economic recovery and diplomacy to protect Japan’s national interest every single day since we returned to power,” Abe told reporters at the prime minister’s office before heading into his final cabinet meeting. “During this time, I was able to tackle various challenges together with the people, and I’m proud of myself.”“I devoted my body and soul for the economic recovery and diplomacy to protect Japan’s national interest every single day since we returned to power,” Abe told reporters at the prime minister’s office before heading into his final cabinet meeting. “During this time, I was able to tackle various challenges together with the people, and I’m proud of myself.”
He said his health was improving thanks to treatment and that he, as a lawmaker, will support his successor, Yoshihide Suga, from now on. He also thanked the people for their understanding and strong support for the upcoming leadership under Suga. Suga, a self-made politician and the son of a strawberry farmer and teacher in the northern prefecture of Akita, has stressed his background in promising to serve the interests of ordinary people and rural communities.
Suga, chief cabinet secretary for Abe’s government and long seen as his right-hand man, was chosen on Monday as the new head of the governing Liberal Democratic party, virtually guaranteeing his election as prime minister in Wednesday’s parliamentary vote because of the party’s majority. He has indicated he will pursue Abe’s three-pronged approach to the economy – combining fiscal stimulus, monetary easing and structural reforms such as deregulation to steer the world’s third-biggest economy out of recession.
Suga, a self-made politician and the son of a strawberry grower in the northern prefecture of Akita, has stressed his background in promising to serve the interests of ordinary people and rural communities. Suga will have to balance his focus on encouraging economic activity with addressing the coronavirus pandemic, amid cautious optimism that cases in Japan may have peaked.
He has said he will pursue Abe’s unfinished policies, and that his priorities will be fighting the coronavirus and turning around an economy battered by the pandemic. He gained the support of party heavyweights and their followers early in the campaign on expectations he would continue Abe’s line. On foreign policy, he is expected to continue Abe’s emphasis on Japan-US security ties while seeking better relations with an increasingly assertive China.
Suga has been a loyal supporter of Abe since Abe’s first stint as prime minister from 2006 to 2007. Abe’s tenure ended abruptly because of illness, and Suga helped him return as prime minister in 2012. “Tough issues are mounting for the Suga cabinet,” said Shinichi Nishikawa, a professor of political science at Meiji University in Tokyo.
Abe, 65, has ulcerative colitis. He said last month his condition has improved but, facing ongoing treatment and physical weakness, he decided to resign. “The coronavirus is the top priority to tackle. On the diplomatic front, there are many uncertain factors, including the US presidential election.”
Suga has praised Abe’s diplomacy and economic policies when asked about what he would like to accomplish as prime minister. Suga has said he wants to push on with Japan’s difficult digital transformation, and has struck a chord with voters by challenging the country’s top three mobile phone carriers to lower their charges and open up to competition.
Suga, who does not belong to any wing within the party and opposes factionalism, says he is a reformer who will break down vested interests and rules that hamper reforms. He says he will set up a new government agency to speed up Japan’s lagging digital transformation.
In a reshuffle of the ruling party key posts, however, Suga evenly allocated top posts to key factions, a balancing act seen as a return of favour for their support in the leadership race.
Suga said he will appoint “reform-minded, hard-working people” to the new cabinet, to be launched later Wednesday. About half of the members in the Abe cabinet are expected to be retained or shifted to different ministerial posts.
Media reports say some key ministers, including finance minister Taro Aso, foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Olympic minister Seiko Hashimoto, and environment minister Shinjiro Koizumi, the son of former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi, will stay. Abe’s younger brother, Nobuo Kishi, is reportedly tapped as defence minister, replacing Taro Kono who is expected be shifted to the administrative reforms portfolio.
Compared to his political prowess at home, Suga has hardly travelled overseas and his diplomatic skills are unknown, though he is largely expected to pursue Abe’s priorities.
The new prime minister will inherit a range of challenges, including relations with China, which continues its assertive actions in the contested East China Sea, and what to do with the Tokyo Olympics, which were postponed to next summer due to the coronavirus. And he will have to establish a good relationship with whomever wins the US presidential race.