Japan's incoming PM Ishiba to fill cabinet posts ahead of likely election

Japan's incoming prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, will fill key party posts on September 30 and announce a new Cabinet on October 1 as he tries to unite an LDP party split by one of its closest ever leadership races ahead of a likely snap general election, Report informs referring to Reuters.

That poll, which will decide which party controls parliament's powerful lower house, will come on Oct 27, the Kyodo news agency reported, without citing sources.

"Ishiba seems to be preparing for the earliest possible election schedule, with a dissolution on October 9 and voting on October 27," said Shigenobu Tamura, a former official at Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party and now political analyst.

Among Ishiba's key picks so far are two rival candidates in the leadership race, Katsunobu Kato as finance minister and Yoshimasa Hayashi to stay on as chief cabinet secretary, a pivotal post that includes the role of top government spokesman, two sources familiar with the appointments earlier told Reuters.

In a televised interview on Sunday, Ishiba, did not discuss his cabinet appointments, but suggested he may call a general election in October. A poll must be held within the next 13 months.

Another rival, Shinjiro Koizumi, who has called for a snap election, will be his election campaign chief, according to a local media report. Former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who backed Koizumi, will be his party vice president, the sources said.

Ishiba, 67, won the LDP leadership race on his fifth attempt with strong backing from rank-and-file members.

He is however, considered something of trouble-maker by many of his parliamentary colleagues for often defying party policy. On Friday before his run off election against Takaichi he apologised to LDP lawmakers for his "shortcomings".