Japanese PM to announce Cabinet reshuffle Friday

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 .