Japanese cabinet reshuffle paves way for tax talks

Jan 13, 2012, 7:49 GMT

Tokyo - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda replaced five of his cabinet ministers Friday, to meet the opposition's conditions for talks on raising taxes, an official said.

The remaining 12 cabinet members kept their positions, including the foreign and finance ministers, government spokesman Osamu Fujimura said.

The reshuffle saw Katsuya Okada, former secretary general of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), named deputy prime minister, Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said at a press conference, Kyodo News agency reported.

Okada is said to have strong experience in negotiating with the opposition, which controls the upper house, and whose support Noda needs for his plan to raise the consumer tax to 8 per cent by April 2014, from its current 5 per cent.

Noda's reshuffle appeared to address the threat by the opposition to boycott the talks unless certain ministers are removed.

The opposition, which can block government legislation through its control of the upper house, appeared unimpressed with the changes.

'We can't accept being part of a lie and resolving the matter through prearranged bid-rigging,' Liberal Democratic Party chief Sadakazu Tanigaki said.

Naoki Tanaka, currently the chairman of the DPJ's administration committee, replaced Defence Minister Yasuao Ichikawa.

Ichikawa has been criticized for incompetence by the opposition. He has publicly claimed to be a layman in matters of defence policy.

Consumer Affairs Minister Kenji Yamaoka was moved aside, replaced by Jin Matsubara, previously the senior vice transport minister. Matsubara also took over Yamaoka's position as chairman of the National Public Safety Commission.

Yamaoka came under fire for alleged involvement in pyramid investment schemes, and for making insensitive remarks about the 1995 rape of a schoolgirl by US servicemen on the island of Okinawa.

Justice Minister Hideo Hiraoka was replaced by Toshio Ogawa, the secretary general of the DPJ upper house caucus, Kyodo quoted political sources as saying. Ogawa was senior vice justice minister under former prime minister Naoto Kan.

The minister of administrative reform was also replaced.