The Yomiuri Shimbun
Prime Minister Taro Aso hinted Saturday night during talks with LDP Secretary General Hiroyuki Hosoda that he would retain three top Liberal Democratic Party executives, party sources said.
According to the sources, Aso and Hosoda discussed the timing of the dissolution of the House of Representatives for a general election, as well as possible ministerial appointments in light of the fact that some ministers concurrently hold multiple cabinet posts.
Concerning the timing of the lower house dissolution, Aso reportedly expressed his intention to prioritize the enactment of important bills over the dissolution for the time being and plans to wait until after the July 12 Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election before making a decision.
His remarks highlight confusion within the LDP over the three top executive posts--a lack of cohesion that could result in a further decline in Aso's power.
At the meeting, which was held at a Tokyo hotel, Hosoda reportedly said he would leave the issue of the key posts to the prime minister.
In response, Aso is said to have implied he would not meddle with the three senior jobs, saying: "I've never mentioned a reshuffle of the party's executive posts. It's people outside [the party] who are talking about it."
Though Aso reportedly did not express a desire to make changes to his Cabinet, a minor reshuffle still remains a possibility.
Meanwhile, Aso also indicated the early enactment of important laws such as a special measures bill for the Ship Inspection Operation Law, an amendment of the Organ Transplant Law and a compensation bill for unacknowledged sufferers of Minamata disease.
The special measures bill for ship inspections likely will be submitted to the Diet on Friday. By indicating that these bills will be enacted during the current Diet session, Aso has made it clear he will not dissolve the lower house before the metropolitan assembly election.
Prior to meeting Hosoda, Aso met with Yoshinobu Shimamura--a special prime ministerial assistant--at the same hotel. Shimamura reportedly advised Aso not to juggle the three senior LDP officials and not to dissolve the lower house before the Tokyo election.
Some LDP members are openly demanding that Aso resign, but he likely will choose to stay in power, dissolve the lower house and hold a general election. Eyeing voting in early August, Aso likely is keen to effect intraparty cooperation and is expected to make his final decision by taking into account the results of the Shizuoka gubernatorial election to be held on Sunday and the Tokyo assembly election.
(Jun. 29, 2009)
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