TOKYO, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan is considering appointing Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda to the post of chief cabinet secretary in a reshuffle likely on Jan. 17, Kyodo News reported on Sunday, citing sources in the rulling Democratic Party.
Kan will meet Noda soon, but Noda wants to stay on as finance minister, the sources said, according to Kyodo.
Attention is focused on whether Kan will dump the current Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku to try clear the way to pass bills in a divided parliament. Losing Sengoku, who is the government's de facto No. 2, could also weaken Kan's administration.
Kan could replace Sengoku with Democratic Party Deputy Secretary General Yukio Edano, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Sunday without citing anyone.
The opposition-controlled upper house censured Sengoku in November as rivals step up attacks against Kan, clouding the outlook for his policy agenda and for the process of approving the budget for the year from April.
(Reporting by Stanley White; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
((stanley.white@thomsonreuters.com; +81 3 6441 1984; Reuters Messaging: stanley.white.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: JAPAN POLITICS/CABINET (If you have a query or comment on this story, send an email to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Kan will meet Noda soon, but Noda wants to stay on as finance minister, the sources said, according to Kyodo.
Attention is focused on whether Kan will dump the current Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku to try clear the way to pass bills in a divided parliament. Losing Sengoku, who is the government's de facto No. 2, could also weaken Kan's administration.
Kan could replace Sengoku with Democratic Party Deputy Secretary General Yukio Edano, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Sunday without citing anyone.
The opposition-controlled upper house censured Sengoku in November as rivals step up attacks against Kan, clouding the outlook for his policy agenda and for the process of approving the budget for the year from April.
(Reporting by Stanley White; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
((stanley.white@thomsonreuters.com; +81 3 6441 1984; Reuters Messaging: stanley.white.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: JAPAN POLITICS/CABINET (If you have a query or comment on this story, send an email to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
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