Will Prime Minister Takaichi's intentions be reflected in the Liberal Democratic Party's change of House of Councilors secretary-general Ishii?

On the 15th, Liberal Democratic Party Chairman Seiji Matsuyama informed House of Councilors Secretary-General Junichi Ishii (68) of his intention to replace him. This was revealed by a party official.

The decision appears to have taken into account the wishes of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (party president), who has been at odds with Mr. Ishii over the management of the Diet on the House of Councilors side. The prime minister is making arrangements to select former Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Hideki Murai (46), who has no cabinet experience, to chair the House of Representatives Committee on Country Relations. In conjunction with Mr. Ishii's replacement, it appears that the party is aiming to secure leadership in running the Diet.

At a party executive meeting on the 15th, the prime minister announced that he would reshuffle executives on the 16th and reshuffle the cabinet on the 17th.

At the recent special Diet session, the prime minister called for the fiscal 2026 budget to be passed by the end of March, but the Liberal Democratic Party in the House of Councilors prioritized cooperation with the opposition parties and pushed it back to April. The prime minister is said to have been dissatisfied with Ishii, who had scheduled the deliberations.

The president of the House of Councilors has the authority to appoint members of the Liberal Democratic Party of the House of Councilors. Mr. Ishii is expected to retire on the 16th, when executive personnel are reshuffled. Mr. Matsuyama has decided to appoint Kazuhiko Aoki, 65, chairman of the House of Councilors Steering Committee, as his successor.

Meanwhile, the prime minister emphasized at a board meeting, ``I will make personnel changes in order to use the combined efforts of the government and the party to strongly implement policies that will give the people a sense of affluence and peace of mind.'' At the next meeting of the Liberal Democratic Party's Board of Governors, it left the responsibility to the prime minister to handle the situation.