Suga Officially Voted In As PM, Names Familiar Cabinet

New Liberal Democratic Party President Yoshihide Suga (71) has been officially voted in as Japan's new prime minister in a special session of the lower house of the Diet.

• As was widely anticipated, he has largely maintained the same Cabinet as his predecessor Shinzo Abe, especially in the senior roles.
• Taro Aso remains as finance minister, while Toshimitsu Motegi remains foreign minister. Katsunobu Kato takes over from Suga as Cabinet Secretary, viewed as an important post as a policy organiser and gov't spokesman.
• As expected Nobuo Kishi, Shinzo Abe's brother by birth before being raised by his aunt and uncle, becomes defence minister in his first Cabinet posting.
• Of the new Suga Cabinet of 20, 15 had positions in the previous Abe Cabinet.
• All of this serves to highlight the aspect of continuity the LDP leadership have sought to present through Suga's rise to the prime minister. While viewed as somewhat more of a fiscal hawk than Abe, Suga has committed to following 'Abenomics', while on the defence policy front he has committed to renouncing Article 9 of the constitution, paving the way for the establishment of a permanent Japanese armed forces.
• Suga to deliver press conference this evening around 2100JST (0800ET, 1300BST, 1400CET) following his official inauguration at the Imperial Palace.