TOKYO, Aug 9 ― Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is likely to retain his current finance and foreign ministers in a Cabinet reshuffle expected tomorrow, theKishida, who is facing his lowest support levels since taking office in October, is expected to keep Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki and Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, the newspaper said late yesterday.
Kishida said over the weekend he would reshuffle his cabinet to address mounting issues, including rising Covid-19 infections. The reshuffle, earlier than previously expected, comes as Kishida's administration faces increasing public scrutiny on the relationship between the Unification Church religious group and ruling party lawmakers, including slain former prime minister Shinzo Abe.
Jiji news agency reported on Friday that Suzuki, the finance minister, would be retained. The Yomiuri newspaper had previously reported that Kishida was likely replace Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi, due to his health issues. ― Reuters