“Review of Hayashi, a close associate of Kishida and leader of the Kishida faction”
Fuji News Network (FNN) reported on the 13th that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is considering former Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi as the new Chief Cabinet Secretary.
According to reports, Prime Minister Kishida is considering former Foreign Minister Hayashi to replace Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, who will be virtually dismissed due to allegations of slush funds.
The Chief Cabinet Secretary is the mouthpiece of the government and the second-in-command in the cabinet.
Former Foreign Minister Hayashi is the chairman of the Hiroike Policy Research Group of the Kishida faction, which was headed by Prime Minister Kishida. He is a close associate of Prime Minister Kishida. Prime Minister Kishida left the Kishida faction on the 7th.
Initially, the Prime Minister’s Office also considered hiring former Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Katsunobu Kato, who previously served as Chief Cabinet Secretary, as Chief Cabinet Secretary.
However, FNN reported that it was decided to appoint former Foreign Minister Hayashi, a member of the Kishida faction, who has high practical ability and is closer to Prime Minister Kishida.
However, there are voices among Liberal Democratic Party executives opposing the appointment of former Foreign Minister Hayashi, so coordination is continuing.
Currently, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors’ Office’s special department is looking into suspicions of non-disclosure or false information in the income and expenditure report regarding the political funds of five factions of the Liberal Democratic Party, including the Kishida faction.
In particular, members of the Seiwa Policy Research Group, the Abe faction, the party’s largest faction, are accused of failing to record the amount exceeding the quota for political fund-raising ‘party ticket’ sales in the political fund balance report, and taking back the money raised and using it as a slush fund. is receiving.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno is suspected of having created a slush fund worth about 10 million yen (about 90 million won) over the past five years.
The main opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party, submitted a resolution of no confidence in Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno, but it was rejected on the 12th with a majority of opposition from the ruling party and others.
Prime Minister Kishida is expected to replace four cabinet members from the Abe faction, including Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno, on the 14th.
Local media reports that the Abe faction has been virtually dismissed and a non-factional lawmaker or a member of a faction other than the Abe faction will be appointed to fill the position left.
According to Jiji News, in addition to former Foreign Minister Hayashi, the names of non-factional former Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada and Hiroshi Kajiyama, acting secretary of the Liberal Democratic Party, are being mentioned.
In addition, the non-factional former Justice Minister Ken Saito and the non-factional former Minister of Economy and Industrial Regeneration Shigeyuki Goto are being mentioned.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.