Japanese Cabinet Resigns for Mori to Form New One

The Japanese cabinet resigned en masse Tuesday morning to pave the way for the formation of a new one later in the day.

The House of Representatives and the House of Councilors will meet Tuesday afternoon to approve the nomination of a new prime minister.

Mori, 62, is certain to be reelected to the country's top political post as the tripartite ruling coalition, comprising Mori's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the New Komeito party and the New Conservative Party (NCP), holds a majority in both chambers of the Diet, or parliament.

The three-party coalition secured a comfortable majority in the general election, allowing Mori, who took office in April succeeding Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, to stay in power.

Announcement of the new lineup is expected at around 5 p.m. (local time).

In the new cabinet, Mori is expected to retain Finance Minister Kiichi Miyazawa and Foreign Minister Yohei Kono, who will chair the ministerial meetings later this month ahead of the July 21-23 Group of Eight (G-8) meeting in Okinawa Prefecture.

People's Daily Online --- http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/