Shinzo Abe elected as Japan's PM
2012-12-26 12:05
Tokyo - Shinzo Abe was elected Japan's
prime minister by the lower house of parliament on Wednesday after he swept to
power on a hawkish platform of getting tough on diplomatic issues while fixing
the economy
Abe, who was prime minister from 2006 to
2007, unveiled his new Cabinet within hours of his election, as he rushes to
draft an extra budget to spur the flagging economy.
Taro Aso, another former prime minister in
Japan's revolving-door political system, was tapped as both Abe's deputy and
also finance minister.
Earlier on Wednesday, the yen tumbled
against the dollar on growing speculation that the Bank of Japan will usher in
further easing measures - a key plank of Abe's campaign.
Abe, 58, achieved a resounding election
victory earlier this month for his Liberal Democratic Party over the Democratic
Party of Japan (DPJ).
On Wednesday he secured 328 votes to 57 for
the DPJ's new leader Banri Kaieda, the industry minister during last year's
Fukushima nuclear crisis.
Abe, Japan's seventh premier in less than
seven years, replaces Yoshihiko Noda whose DPJ suffered a stinging defeat at
the polls.
The party, which came to power in 2009, was
seen as being punished for policy flip-flops and its clumsy handling of the
atomic disaster.
The foreign minister job in the new cabinet
went to Fumio Kishida, who was a state minister in charge of Okinawan affairs
during Abe's previous tenure.
The appointment was seen as a reflection of
Abe's desire for progress on the relocation of US military bases in the
southern island chain, and comes as Japan is embroiled in a territorial row
with China.
The defence portfolio went to Itsunori
Onodera, who served as deputy foreign minister for a year during Abe's earlier
premiership and during that of his successor Yasuo Fukuda.
Sadakazu Tanigaki, the head of the LDP when
the party was in opposition after ruling Japan for most of the past six
decades, became justice minister.
Abe has vowed to pressure the central bank
for further easing measures to boost growth, while also promising big
government spending to spur the economy.
He won conservative support with
nationalistic pronouncements on diplomacy amid the row with Beijing over a
group of East China Sea islands, saying Japan would stand firm on its claim to
the chain.
He has also said he would consider revising
Japan's post-war pacifist constitution, alarming officials in China and South
Korea.
But Abe quickly toned down the campaign
rhetoric and has said he wants improved ties with China, Japan's biggest
trading partner. He called for a solution through what he described as
"patient exchanges".
China called on Abe to meet it
"halfway" to try and improve relations that have been hurt by the
debilitating territorial dispute.
"We hope the new Japanese
administration will meet the Chinese side halfway and make concrete efforts to
overcome difficulties in bilateral relations," foreign ministry spokesperson
Hua Chunying told reporters.
South Korea has its own islands dispute
with Japan. But President Lee Myung-Bak sent Abe his congratulations, saying
the countries have engaged in "close cooperation and exchanges as close
neighbours and friendly nations".
Analysts said Abe was likely to delay
drastic policy measures ahead of upper house elections next year, while the
LDP's moderate junior coalition partner New Komeito could also balance his
right-leaning instincts.
