Third Koizumi Cabinet

Summary

The Third Koizumi Cabinet governed Japan for the final year of Junichiro Koizumi's term as prime minister, from September 2005 to September 2006, following the landslide victory of his coalition in the "postal election" of 2005.[1]

Third Koizumi Cabinet

89th Cabinet of Japan
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi (front row, centre) with the re-elected cabinet inside the Kantei, September 21, 2005
Date formedSeptember 21, 2005
Date dissolvedSeptember 26, 2006
People and organisations
Head of stateEmperor Akihito
Head of governmentJunichiro Koizumi
Member partyLDP-NKP coalition
Status in legislatureHoR: LDP-NKP Coalition Supermajority
HoC: LDP-NKP Coalition majority
Opposition partyDemocratic Party of Japan
Opposition leaderSeiji Maehara (2005-2006)
Ichirō Ozawa (2006)
History
Election(s)2005 general election
PredecessorSecond Koizumi Cabinet
SuccessorFirst Abe Cabinet

Background edit

Following his re-election by the National Diet on September 21, Koizumi did not make any ministerial changes when inaugurating his third cabinet, keeping his previous team in place to focus on the re-introduction and passage of the bills to privatize Japan Post, which had formed the basis for his re-election campaign.[2][3][4] Once this was accomplished, Koizumi conducted his final cabinet reshuffle on October 31 at the end of the Diet session. This reshuffle promoted several potential successors including Sadakazu Tanigaki, who was reappointed as Finance Minister, Tarō Asō, who was moved to become Foreign Minister, and Shinzō Abe, who was promoted from LDP Secretary General to the post of Chief Cabinet Secretary.[5][6][7] Koizumi also promoted Heizō Takenaka his long-serving minister for economic reform, to the position of Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications to oversee the implementation of postal and administrative reform.[8]

Since 1980, the Liberal Democratic Party has limited its leader to two consecutive terms, meaning that Koizumi was bound to stand down as prime minister in September 2006 when his second term expired.[9] This gave him just one year following his re-election to conclude the reforms he had advocated during his terms of office, though he admitted in September 2005 that some would not be achieved in that time, such as constitutional revision to allow the Self-Defence Forces full military status.[10] During the final session of the Diet under Koizumi's premiership, 82 out of 91 government bills were passed, including administrative and healthcare reforms, though education, constitutional and criminal law reforms were not enacted.[11] Despite calls from some members of the LDP and the Komeito to amend party rules and allow him to stay on (amendments which allow the President of LDP have another 3 years term, which later amended by Shinzo Abe in 2015), Koizumi adhered to the term limit and retired in September 26, 2006.[12][13]

Election of the prime minister edit

21 September 2005
House of Representatives
Absolute majority (241/480) required
Choice First Vote
Votes
 YJunichiro Koizumi
340 / 480
Seiji Maehara
114 / 480
Others and Abstentions (Including blank ballots)
26 / 480
Source Diet Minutes - 163rd Session

Lists of ministers edit

  Liberal Democratic
  New Komeito
  Independent
R = Member of the House of Representatives
C = Member of the House of Councillors

Cabinet edit

Third Koizumi Cabinet from September 21, 2005 to October 31, 2005
Portfolio Minister Term of office
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi R April 26, 2001 - September 26, 2006
Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Tarō Asō R September 22, 2003 - October 31, 2005
Minister of Justice
Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Measures for Declining Birthrate
Chieko Nōno C September 27, 2004 - October 31, 2005
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nobutaka Machimura R September 27, 2004 - October 31, 2005
Minister of Finance Sadakazu Tanigaki R September 22, 2003 - September 26, 2006
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Nariaki Nakayama R September 27, 2004 - October 31, 2005
Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare Hidehisa Otsuji C September 27, 2004 - October 31, 2005
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Mineichi Iwanaga R August 11, 2005 - October 31, 2005
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Shōichi Nakagawa R September 22, 2003 - October 31, 2005
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Kazuo Kitagawa R September 27, 2004 - September 26, 2006
Minister of the Environment
Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs
Yuriko Koike R September 22, 2003 - September 26, 2006
Chief Cabinet Secretary
Minister for Gender Equality
Hiroyuki Hosoda R May 7, 2004 - October 31, 2005
Director of the National Public Safety Commission
Minister for Disaster Management
Minister of State for National Emergency Legislation
Yoshitaka Murata R September 27, 2004 - October 31, 2005
Director of the Japan Defense Agency Yoshinori Ohno R September 27, 2004 - October 31, 2005
Minister of State for Financial Services Tatsuya Ito R September 27, 2004 - October 31, 2005
Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy
Minister of State for Privatization of the Postal Services
Heizō Takenaka C April 26, 2001 - October 31, 2005
Minister of State for Regulatory Reform
Minister of State for Industrial Revitalization Corporation of Japan
Minister of State for Administrative Reform
Minister of State for Special Zones for Structural Reform
Minister of State for Regional Revitalization
Seiichiro Murakami R September 27, 2004 - October 31, 2005
Minister of State (Science and Technology Policy)
Minister of State for Food Protection
Minister of State for Information Technology
Yasufumi Tanahashi R September 27, 2004 - October 31, 2005
Deputy Secretaries
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs - House of Representatives) Seiken Sugiura R May 7, 2004 - October 31, 2005
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs - House of Councillors) Masaaki Yamazaki C September 22, 2003 - October 31, 2005
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Bureaucrat) Masahiro Futahashi - September 22, 2003 - September 26, 2006

Reshuffle edit

 
PM Koizumi with his reshuffled cabinet inside the Kantei, October 31, 2005.
Third Koizumi Cabinet from October 31, 2005 to September 26, 2006
Portfolio Minister Term of office
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi R April 26, 2001 - September 26, 2006
Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications
Minister of State for Privatization of the Postal Services
Heizō Takenaka C October 31, 2005 - September 26, 2006
Minister of Justice Seiken Sugiura R October 31, 2005 - September 26, 2006
Minister of Foreign Affairs Tarō Asō R October 31, 2005 - August 27, 2007
Minister of Finance Sadakazu Tanigaki R September 22, 2003 - September 26, 2006
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Kenji Kosaka R October 31, 2005 - September 26, 2006
Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare Jirō Kawasaki R October 31, 2005 - September 26, 2006
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Shōichi Nakagawa R October 31, 2005 - September 26, 2006
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Toshihiro Nikai R October 31, 2005 - September 26, 2006
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Kazuo Kitagawa R September 27, 2004 - September 26, 2006
Minister of the Environment
Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs
Minister in Charge of Global Environmental Problems
Yuriko Koike R September 22, 2003 - September 26, 2006
Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzō Abe R October 31, 2005 - September 26, 2006
Director of the National Public Safety Commission
Minister for Disaster Management
Minister of State for National Emergency Legislation
Tetsuo Kutsukake C October 31, 2005 - September 26, 2006
Director of the Japan Defense Agency Fukushiro Nukaga R October 31, 2005 - September 26, 2006
Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy
Minister of State for Financial Services
Kaoru Yosano R October 31, 2005 - September 26, 2006
Minister of State for Administrative Reform
Minister of State for Regulatory Reform
Minister of State for Special Zones for Structural Reform
Minister of State for Regional Revitalization
Kouki Chuma R October 31, 2005 - September 26, 2006
Minister of State (Science and Technology Policy)
Minister of State for Food Protection
Minister of State for Information Technology
Iwao Matsuda C October 31, 2005 - September 26, 2006
Minister of State for Gender Equality and Social Affairs Kuniko Inoguchi R October 31, 2005 - September 26, 2006
Deputy Secretaries
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs - House of Representatives) Jinen Nagase R October 31, 2005 - September 26, 2006
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs - House of Councillors) Seiji Suzuki C October 31, 2005 - August 27, 2007
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Bureaucrat) Masahiro Futahashi - September 22, 2003 - September 26, 2006

References edit

  1. ^ Wallace, Bruce (12 September 2005). "Japan's Koizumi Wins in a Landslide". LA Times. Archived from the original on 13 December 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. ^ "Koizumi re-elected Premier". The Hindu. 22 September 2005. Archived from the original on 13 December 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  3. ^ "Koizumi sets key reform deadline". BBC News. 26 September 2005. Archived from the original on 24 September 2008. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  4. ^ Faiola, Anthony (15 October 2005). "Japan Approves Postal Privatization". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. ^ Faiola, Anthony (1 November 2005). "Koizumi Reshuffles Cabinet, Drawing Lines for Succession Battle". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 13 December 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  6. ^ "Koizumi to reshuffle Cabinet, successor may emerge". Hurriyet Daily News. 31 October 2005. Archived from the original on 13 December 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  7. ^ "Koizumi selects a hardline Cabinet in major reshuffle". Taipei Times. 1 November 2005. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ^ Kingston, Jeff (1 November 2005). "Japan reshuffle points to succession". BBC News. Archived from the original on 4 June 2007. Retrieved 13 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  9. ^ "The LDP's presidential term limit". The Japan Times. 23 September 2016. Archived from the original on 3 October 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  10. ^ Wallace, Bruce (12 September 2005). "Japan's Koizumi Wins in a Landslide". LA Times. Archived from the original on 13 December 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  11. ^ Ito, Masami (17 June 2006). "Diet closes for summer, puts lid on Koizumi legacy". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 13 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  12. ^ Wallace, Bruce (12 September 2005). "Japan's Koizumi Wins in a Landslide". LA Times. Archived from the original on 13 December 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  13. ^ "Japanese PM Koizumi steps down". BBC News. 26 September 2006. Archived from the original on 13 December 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

External links edit

Pages at the Kantei (English website):

  • Koizumi Administration
  • List of Ministers
  • (Reshuffled)