Japanese PM to announce Cabinet reshuffle Friday
CHIBA, Japan. January 13. KAZINFORM Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said on Thursday he would reshuffle his cabinet to build a powerful administration.
The reshuffle of the cabinet and the leadership of the Democratic Party will be carried out on Friday to create a strong team in a bid to reform the country, Kan said at the ruling party' s regular convention in Chiba.
Kan denied that the change was meant for replacing two cabinet members, including Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku, who were censured last November by the opposition-controlled Upper House of parliament.
However, Kan has to garner opposition support to ensure the passage of a record 92.4 trillion yen (about 1.1 trillion U.S. dollars) budget for the 2011 fiscal year beginning April 1 by responding to opposition parties' call to remove the censured ministers from their posts.
Sengoku is believed to be replaced by Yukio Edano, who is current deputy secretary-general of the Democratic Party, Kazinform cites Xinhua. See English.news.cn .