Abe elected as new Japan premier
By Yuko Ishida,WNS Japan Bureau Chief
TOKYO - Japan's parliament has elected Shinzo Abe as the nation's new prime minister. The conservative Mr Abe won 339 of 475 votes in the powerful lower house, as well as a majority in the upper house. He was virtually guaranteed the position, after winning last week's leadership election for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
At 52, he will be Japan's youngest prime minister since World War II, replacing the flamboyant but straight-talking Junichiro Koizumi. Following his appointment, Mr Abe announced the line up of his new Cabinet. He gave the job of Chief Cabinet Secretary to a key aide, Yasuhisa Shiozaki. Mr Shiozaki will also have special responsibility for handling a row over North Korea's abduction of Japanese citizens to train Korean spies in the 1970s and 1980s. Former defence chief Fumio Kyuma is the new Defence Minister, while Taro Aso retains his post as Foreign Minister.
The announcement of other cabinet posts has shed less light than many had hoped on the future direction of the Abe administration. The Japanese people will have to wait for the new prime minister's major policy speech on Friday for further details, our correspondent adds.
posted by wnsworld @ 7:12 PM
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