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TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso has sworn in two new cabinet ministers, appointed on Wednesday. It is the first cabinet reshuffle for Mr Aso, who took office in September last year.
It comes amidst dwindling public support and growing pressure to call for new elections.
The new Minister of Economic and Fiscal Policy, Yoshimasa Hayashi, said: "He told me that I should work hard on my task and set a roadmap with a mid- to long-term perspective in this severe economic situation."
Mr Hayashi takes over from Kaoru Yosano who was forced to wear three hats after former finance minister Shoichi Nakagawa stepped down, following a sloppy news conference in Italy. Mr Yosano is still the finance and financial services minister.
The other new minister, Motoo Hayashi, takes over the national public safety commission portfolio from Tsutomu Sato, who was also the internal affairs minister.
The two Hayashis are not related.
It is believed that Mr Aso made the decision to reshuffle the cabinet after advice from Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) heavyweights such as former prime ministers Shinzo Abe and Yoshiro Mori.
Some members of the ruling LDP have been calling for Mr Aso to step down and to hold a party presidential election.
Opposition party leader Yukio Hatoyama is also facing troubles of his own – it has come to light that his political fund statement was falsified.
- CNA/so
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