TOKYO, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- Having won his ruling party leadership role by a wide margin Saturday, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will announce a new Cabinet Monday.
The most suspense surrounds the question whether Koizumi's resounding victory in party elections gives him enough backing to keep in his Cabinet the man who has angered the banking industry with his tough crackdown, economic and fiscal policy minister Heizo Takenaka.
All 17 ministers in the Cabinet present their resignations Monday. Those who will populate the next Cabinet will then be called into Koizumi's office and gathered at the Imperial Palace.
The reshuffling precedes an expected general election in November.
Koizumi already named Shinzo Abe -- relatively young at 49 -- to replace veteran Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Taku Yamasaki, Xinhua news agency reported.
Japan's economic reforms crucial to a return to growth may depend on the degree to which Koizumi feels free to keep naming outsiders instead of party regulars to Cabinet posts.
