Hatoyama cabinet inaugurated

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Hatoyama cabinet inaugurated

Democratic Party of Japan President Hatoyama Yukio was elected as prime minister in the Extraordinary Diet Session convened on September 16, following the LDP-Komei government's resignation due to the voters' verdict in the recent general election.

Later in the day, Hatoyama announced new Cabinet members and inaugurated the DPJ-led administration in coalition with the Social Democratic Party and the People's New Party (Kokumin Shinto).

It is the first time for the LDP to hand over the reins of government in 16 years since the Hosokawa coalition cabinet was formed in 1993.

Japanese Communist Party Diet members voted for JCP Chair Shii Kazuo in the parliamentary nomination of prime minister.

The Hatoyama Cabinet is composed of 15 DPJ Diet members, including three former DPJ presidents, Kan Naoto, Okada Katsuya, and Maehara Seiji. Coalition partners, SDP leader Fukushima Mizuho and Kokumin chief Kamei Shizuka also obtained posts.

Two Cabinet posts were newly established. One is the state minister in charge of national strategy, which will play a key role in the DPJ policy calling for lawmakers' leadership in the policy-making process. The other is the state minister in charge of the administrative renewal council which examines the wasteful use of tax money. In contrast, the state minister in charge of a cabinet panel on discussing the government's basic economic policy, which had been established under the LDP-Komei government in order to fulfill business circles' needs, was abolished.

Following is the list of the Hatoyama Cabinet members:

Prime Minister: Hatoyama Yukio;

Vice Prime Minister/State Minister in Charge of National Strategy: Kan Naoto;

Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications: Haraguchi Kazuhiro;

Justice Minister: Chiba Keiko;

Foreign Minister: Okada Katsuya;

Finance Minister: Fujii Hirohisa;

Chief Cabinet Secretary: Hirano Hirofumi;

Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology: Kawabata Tatsuo;

Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare: Nagatsuma Akira;

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries: Akamatsu Hirotaka;

Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry: Naoshima Masayuki;

Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism/State Minister in Charge of Okinawa and Northern Territories: Maehara Seiji;

Environment Minister: Ozawa Sakihito;

Defense Minister: Kitazawa Toshimi;

National Public Safety Commission Chairman/State Minister in Charge of North Korea's Abduction of Japanese People: Nakai Hiroshi;

State Minister in Charge of Financial, Postal Services: Kamei Shizuka;

State Minister in Charge of Consumer Affairs, Declining Birthrate and Gender Equality and Social Affairs: Fukushima Mizuho; and

State Minister in Charge of Administrative Reform: Sengoku Yoshito

- Akahata, September 17, 2009