The Third Koizumi Cabinet governed Japan for the final year of Junichiro Koizumi's term as prime minister, from September 2005 to September 2006, following the landslide victory of his coalition in the "postal election" of 2005.[1]
Background
Following his re-election by the National Diet on September 21, Koizumi did not make any ministerial changes when inaugurating his third cabinet, keeping his previous team in place to focus on the re-introduction and passage of the bills to privatize Japan Post, which had formed the basis for his re-election campaign.[2][3][4] Once this was accomplished, Koizumi conducted his final cabinet reshuffle on October 31 at the end of the Diet session. This reshuffle promoted several potential successors including Sadakazu Tanigaki, who was reappointed as Finance Minister, Tarō Asō, who was moved to become Foreign Minister, and Shinzō Abe, who was promoted from LDP Secretary General to the post of Chief Cabinet Secretary.[5][6][7] Koizumi also promoted Heizō Takenaka his long-serving minister for economic reform, to the position of Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications to oversee the implementation of postal and administrative reform.[8]
Since 1980, the Liberal Democratic Party has limited its leader to two consecutive terms, meaning that Koizumi was bound to stand down as prime minister in September 2006 when his second term expired.[9] This gave him just one year following his re-election to conclude the reforms he had advocated during his terms of office, though he admitted in September 2005 that some would not be achieved in that time, such as constitutional revision to allow the Self-Defence Forces full military status.[10] During the final session of the Diet under Koizumi's premiership, 82 out of 91 government bills were passed, including administrative and healthcare reforms, though education, constitutional and criminal law reforms were not enacted.[11] Despite calls from some members of the LDP and the Komeito to amend party rules and allow him to stay on (amendments which allow the President of LDP have another 3 years term, which later amended by Shinzo Abe in 2015), Koizumi adhered to the term limit and retired in September 26, 2006.[12][13]
Election of the prime minister
21 September 2005
House of Representatives Absolute majority (241/480) required
Minister of State for Regulatory Reform Minister of State for Industrial Revitalization Corporation of Japan Minister of State for Administrative Reform Minister of State for Special Zones for Structural Reform Minister of State for Regional Revitalization
Minister of State for Administrative Reform Minister of State for Regulatory Reform Minister of State for Special Zones for Structural Reform Minister of State for Regional Revitalization
^Wallace, Bruce (12 September 2005). "Japan's Koizumi Wins in a Landslide". LA Times. Archived from the original on 13 December 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^Faiola, Anthony (15 October 2005). "Japan Approves Postal Privatization". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^Kingston, Jeff (1 November 2005). "Japan reshuffle points to succession". BBC News. Archived from the original on 4 June 2007. Retrieved 13 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^"The LDP's presidential term limit". The Japan Times. 23 September 2016. Archived from the original on 3 October 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^Wallace, Bruce (12 September 2005). "Japan's Koizumi Wins in a Landslide". LA Times. Archived from the original on 13 December 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^"Japanese PM Koizumi steps down". BBC News. 26 September 2006. Archived from the original on 13 December 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
