Murai Likely to Be Named Diet Affairs Head in LDP Exec Reshuffle

Tokyo, Sept. 13 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is considering appointing former Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Hideki Murai as parliamentary affairs chief of her ruling Liberal Democratic Party in a party leadership reshuffle, informed sources said Sunday.

It is customary for the post of LDP parliamentary affairs chief to be held by a former cabinet minister, so appointing someone who has never served in the cabinet would be an unusual move.

The prime minister apparently aims to signal a fresh start for the LDP leadership team by naming Murai, who is active in parliamentary reform, to the post, party sources said.

Murai, 46, has been elected to the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament, six times.

The former Finance Ministry bureaucrat served as a special adviser to the prime minister in the administration of former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and as deputy chief cabinet secretary, a role that serves as a coordinator between the LDP's Diet affairs committee and the prime minister's office.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]