Kishida spoke with Motegi and other senior LDP members on Friday to convey his plans. Besides Motegi, LDP vice-president Taro Aso is expected to keep his post. Kishida will meet with other party members on Monday to secure their support.
Regarding the defence chief, Kishida has begun coordinating a switch after taking Kishi’s health into consideration.
Kishida has moved up the timing of a cabinet revamp, initially expected in late August or early September, as he seeks to bring in fresh faces amid sliding poll numbers.
The prime minister faces headwinds from rising Covid-19 cases, a controversial decision to hold a state funeral for former prime minister Shinzo Abe, and the growing scrutiny of LDP lawmakers’ ties to the Unification Church.
Many prime ministers in the past have used cabinet reshuffles to boost party morale and reverse falling public support.
Kishida seeks to advance Japan’s coronavirus response, as well as his “new capitalism” economic policies, under a new cabinet. The government is also set to revise key defence policy documents and debate an increase in defence spending toward the end of the year.
Agriculture minister Genjiro Kaneko and National Public Safety Commission chairperson Satoshi Ninoyu, who ended their upper house terms July 25, are expected to be replaced.
Abe’s assassination has raised questions about the protection of key personnel, which is a responsibility of the National Public Safety Commission. By replacing Ninoyu, Kishida will address the current arrangement of the commission being led not by an elected official, but by a private citizen.
The LDP’s largest faction, previously led by Abe, has decided not to choose a new leader for now. All eyes are on how many posts the faction will get in the cabinet and leadership reshuffle, a gauge of its political clout in the party.
“We face a number of challenges, some of which could be considered a crisis, both at home and abroad,” Kishida told reporters in July.
“The most important thing is for the ruling coalition to be united,” he said. “We need to have the right people in the right places.”
Kishida’s approval rating fell to 58% that month in a Nikkei poll, his second-lowest showing since taking office last October. Support has waned as new Covid-19 cases have increased, reaching nearly 30,000 per day in Tokyo.
In the Nikkei poll, 47% of respondents were against holding a state funeral for Abe, outnumbering the 43% in favor. Some critics have said holding a state funeral is tantamount to forcing a certain political view of Abe on the public.
In addition, Abe’s suspected killer told police that he was motivated by a grudge against the church, forcing LDP lawmakers to explain their ties to the organisation.