Tokyo, Sept 22: Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's cabinet resigned en masse today, paving the way for him name a new lineup expected to include new finance and foreign ministers. Koizumi was scheduled to announce the new cabinet later in the day, after getting the nod from fellow ruling Liberal Democratic Party leaders and from the heads of the party's two junior coalition partners. "He asked us to resign, and thanked us for our efforts," Transportation Minister Chikage Ogi said after an emergency cabinet meeting. Emboldened by a new mandate after winning re-election to a three-year term as head of the ruling party, Koizumi has vowed to push forward with his austere economic policies and promises of structural reform. He also indicated he would like to call elections for the powerful lower house of parliament as early as November, setting up a long-awaited showdown with Japan's opposition parties.
Koizumi, who won re-election on Saturday, quickly installed two allies in key party posts. To further consolidate his power, he was expected to name a cabinet that would lend more support to him on the economic front, which has been his biggest vulnerability.
Bureau Report