Aso's mini-reshuffle of the Cabinet shows his inability to lead LDP
(From The Japan Times July 4 issue)

首相の統率力が問われた内閣改造

The mini-reshuffle of the Cabinet July 1 shows that Prime Minister Taro Aso's power to lead his Liberal Democratic Party in the direction he desires has dwindled. He had sought a substantial reshuffle of the Cabinet and the party leadership to buoy his administration's sagging approval rate. But resistance from within the LDP left him leeway only to fill two Cabinet posts concurrently held by other ministers.

Mr. Aso picked two LDP legislators to fill the posts of fiscal and economic policy minister, and chairman of the National Public Safety Commission. This decision has lightened the load of Mr. Kaoru Yosano, who has played a triple role as finance minister, financial services minister, and fiscal and economic policy minister, and the load of internal affairs minister Tsutomu Sato, who has doubled as NPSC chairman.

But Mr. Aso's plan for a change in party leadership almost backfired amid strong opposition within the party. He wanted to fill the party leadership with attractive faces because party executives will play a crucial role in the coming general election. But he was unable to oust top LDP executives, most notably LDP Secretary General Hiroyuki Hosoda, regarded as lacking strong voter appeal. With Mr. Aso's failure to change the LDP leadership, his preferred political scenario has collapsed. An aide to him said Mr. Aso wanted a newly led party to win the upcoming Shizuoka gubernatorial and Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly elections. He then hoped to use these victories as leverage for dissolving the Lower House and maintaining his administration even after the general election.

The latest development shows that Mr. Aso will face severe difficulty in taking the initiative to dissolve the Lower House. Although Lower House members' terms will expire in less than two months, he cannot set the date for dissolving the Lower House. This abnormal situation reveals the crippling disarray of Mr. Aso's administration and the LDP.

麻生首相の求心力低下を象徴したプチ内閣改造。政権浮揚を狙った党役員・閣僚人事刷新は、党内の強い反発により閣僚補充人事に終わった。

首相は総選挙の「顔」として党役員に魅力的な人材の起用を試みたが、「発信力不足」とされた細田幹事長ほか役員の交代は見送られた。側近によると首相は、静岡県知事選、東京都議選で自民党が勝つことで衆院解散へのはずみをつけ、総選挙後も政権を維持したい意向だった。首相が衆院解散の主導権を取ることは難しくなってきた。衆議院の任期切れが迫るなか、衆院解散の日程が決まらない。この異常事態は麻生政権と自民党の混乱ぶりを露呈している。