TOKYO — Japan’s incoming prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, is expected to keep Yoshimasa Hayashi as Chief Cabinet Secretary in his new cabinet, according to a report from the Asahi newspaper. Hayashi, a former defense and foreign minister, has held the key position under outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Ishiba, who won the race to lead the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Friday, is preparing to form his government, with a vote in the lower house of parliament scheduled for Tuesday to confirm him as prime minister.
Hayashi, one of the candidates defeated by Ishiba in the unpredictable LDP leadership race, has been a central figure in Kishida’s cabinet. His retention as Chief Cabinet Secretary suggests a desire for continuity and stability amid recent party scandals that have hurt the LDP’s popularity.
Additionally, Shinjiro Koizumi, who placed third in the LDP race, is likely to be appointed as the head of the party’s election committee, local media reported.