Murai Eyed as LDP Parliamentary Affairs Head in Reshuffle

Tokyo, Sept. 14 (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 an upcoming reshuffle of the party's leadership team, it has been learned.

Arrangements are also underway for picking Hiroshi Nakatsuka, secretary-general of the Japan Innovation Party, the coalition partner of the LDP, for a ministerial post in the Takaichi cabinet, informed sources said.

Takaichi is expected to reshuffle the LDP executive lineup Wednesday and then the cabinet and the lineup of state ministers and parliamentary vice ministers.

It is customary for the post of LDP parliamentary affairs chief to be held by a person who has served as a cabinet minister, so appointing someone with no cabinet experience to the position would be unusual.

The prime minister apparently aims to signal a fresh start for the LDP leadership team by naming Murai, who is active in reforming the Diet, the country's parliament, to the post, party sources said.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]