Japan parliament chooses Koizumi as prime minister

TOKYO (Reuters) – A special session of Japan’s parliament
re-elected Junichiro Koizumi as prime minister on Wednesday,
clearing the way for him to press on with a reform program
including privatization of the postal system after his party’s
landslide election victory this month.

Koizumi, who first took office in April 2001, was chosen
leader by members of the 480-seat lower house, where his
Liberal Democratic Party took a commanding 296 seats in the
September 11 election, ensuring he would remain prime minister.

Koizumi called the election after LDP rebels in the upper
house voted with the opposition to defeat bills to privatize
Japan Post, a financial services giant with $3 trillion in
assets. He had cast the election as a referendum on postal
reform, which he considers the core of his reform agenda.

Ahead of the parliamentary vote, all members of Koizumi’s
cabinet tendered their resignations, but all are expected to be
reappointed later in the day.