TOKYO: Japan’s incoming prime minister, ISHIBA Shigeru, is likely to name KOIZUMI Shinjiro, a rival in Friday’s leadership race, to head the ruling party’s election committee, public broadcaster NHK said on Saturday.

Speculation is swirling about whom Ishiba will appoint to his cabinet when he forms a government on Tuesday, after winning the race for president of the Liberal Democratic Party.

Koizumi, a former environment minister and the son of a former prime minister, finished third among the nine candidates in the LDP election.

Ishiba, a former defence minister, said on Friday he planned to call a general election, which must be held in the next 13 months, at an early date.

Reuters