Attorney Kito: “Shocking” the second Ishiba Cabinet’s personnel policy for Parliamentary Vice-Ministers: “Akiko Ikuina, a member of the House of Councilors, will be Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs” – Sponichi Sponichi Annex Society

Lawyer Masaki Kito (63) updated his X (formerly Twitter) by the 13th. He mentioned the appointment of vice ministers and parliamentary vice-ministers in the second Ishiba Cabinet, which the government and ruling party are finalizing.

Under the personnel policy that the government and the ruling party are finalizing, they will not appoint members of the Liberal Democratic Party who were not included in the political funds balance report due to factional slush funds scandals. Sources have revealed that the Liberal Democratic Party plans to appoint House of Councilors member Masashi Adachi to the position of vice-minister of internal affairs and communications, and House of Councilors member Akiko Ikuina to serve as parliamentary vice-minister for foreign affairs. The decision will be made at the cabinet meeting on the 13th.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba appears to have judged that appointing slush-funded members to important positions, assuming that the House of Representatives election was a “misogi”, could provoke a public backlash. The move appears to be aimed at avoiding opposition from opposition parties as they aim to re-revise the Political Funds Control Law by the end of the year. Masahiro Takamura will serve as Deputy Minister of Justice, and Takuma Miyaji will serve as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Hiroaki Saito will be reappointed as Deputy Minister of Finance.

Mr. Kito wrote in this personnel policy, “Incredibly, Akiko Ikuina, a member of the House of Councilors, will be Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs.”

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