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Japan premier reshuffles Cabinet Japan premier reshuffles Cabinet
(about 2 hours later)
Japanese leader Shinzo Abe has chosen veteran lawmakers for key posts in his new Cabinet, reports from Japan say. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has named veteran lawmakers to key posts in his new Cabinet.
Nobutaka Machimura is expected to be named foreign minister, replacing Taro Aso, who has become the ruling party secretary-general. Nobutaka Machimura was named foreign minister, replacing Taro Aso, who becomes secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
Fukushiro Nukaga and Masahiko Komura are also set to make a Cabinet return. Fukushiro Nukaga and Masahiko Komura also returned to the Cabinet, as the finance and defence ministers.
The reshuffle is a bid by Mr Abe to shore up support for his embattled government following its crushing defeat in July's upper house polls. With the reshuffle, Mr Abe is aiming to shore up support for his embattled government after disastrous July polls.
A formal announcement on the new Cabinet is expected later in the day. His ruling coalition, which had been hit by a series of scandals, lost control of the upper house to the opposition Democratic Party of Japan for the first time ever.
Gaffes and scandals But Mr Abe has defied calls for his resignation and analysts say he will be hoping that a strong - and scandal-free - Cabinet will restore voters' faith in him.
According to Japanese media reports, Mr Machimura, who heads the Liberal Democratic Party's biggest faction, will become foreign minister for a second time. He held the post under Mr Abe's predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi. 'No magical way'
The line-up was announced by newly-appointed Chief Cabinet Secretary Kaoru Yosano.
"I believe Prime Minister Abe made appointments of those who can firmly assume their expected duties," he told a news conference.
"I don't believe there is any magical way to immediately restore support in the Cabinet."
Mr Machimura, who heads the Liberal Democratic Party's biggest faction, will become foreign minister for a second time. He held the post under Mr Abe's predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi.
Mr Aso becomes the second highest official in the ruling partyMr Aso becomes the second highest official in the ruling party
Mr Nukaga, a former defence minister, is expected to take on the role of finance minister. Mr Nukaga, a former defence minister, takes on the role of finance minister, while Mr Komura, a former foreign minister, replace Yuriko Koike as defence minister.
Mr Komura, a former foreign minister, will replace Yuriko Koike as defence minister, while a former education minister, Kaoru Yosano, will take on the position of Chief Cabinet Secretary, reports said.
Outgoing Foreign Minister Taro Aso, who shares Mr Abe's conservative agenda and has been seen as a potential successor to him, was earlier appointed to the LDP's second highest post.Outgoing Foreign Minister Taro Aso, who shares Mr Abe's conservative agenda and has been seen as a potential successor to him, was earlier appointed to the LDP's second highest post.
Nobuteru Ishihara - son of controversial Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara - was named LDP policy chief, while former Trade Minister Toshihiro Nikai became chairman of the party's General Council. He admitted that the party needed to reconnect with voters.
"The major task for us, the Liberal Democratic Party, is to restore people's trust in the party and show firm measures to cope with people's concerns over the future," he said.
Poll disasterPoll disaster
Mr Abe promised a Cabinet overhaul in the wake of last month's upper house elections, which saw control of the chamber handed to the opposition Democratic Party of Japan for the first time ever. Mr Abe promised a Cabinet overhaul in the wake of last month's upper house elections.
It was a disastrous result for Mr Abe, who took office in September 2006.It was a disastrous result for Mr Abe, who took office in September 2006.
The defeat was blamed on a series of gaffes and scandals involving Mr Abe's ministers, as well as a nationwide pensions scandal, that caused voters to question the prime minister's leadership credentials. The defeat was blamed in part on a series of gaffes and scandals involving several of Mr Abe's ministers.
Mr Abe has stood firm in the face of calls for his resignation and analysts say he will be hoping that a strong - and scandal-free - Cabinet will restore voters' faith in him. A nationwide pensions scandal involving millions of lost payment records also caused many voters to question the prime minister's leadership credentials.
The BBC's Chris Hogg, in Tokyo, says that Mr Abe will be hoping that the new team is better at avoiding scandal than those they replaced.
But some in Japan fear that bringing back some of the older faces in the governing party will mean there is less appetite around the Cabinet table for the economic reforms Japan needs, our correspondent adds.