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Abe re-elected Japanese PM after election landslide (Lead)
Tokyo, Nov 1 (IANS) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was re-appointed the nation’s leader on Wednesday after his ruling bloc’s big election win last month and retained all of his ministers in his new Cabinet.
Abe, 63, was re-elected in a special parliamentary session. He received 312 votes in favour out of 465 in the House of Representatives, where his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) enjoys an absolute majority.
Abe’s Cabinet saw all ministers retain their portfolios following the ruling LDP’s sweeping victory in the October 22 lower house election, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Prime Minister, in a bid to ensure his party’s political continuity going forward, notably kept his key allies in their posts.
These include Taro Aso who will continue to double as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister and Taro Kono whose role as Foreign Minister will remain unchanged.
Itsunori Onodera will continue as Defence Minister and the government’s top spokesperson. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga has also seen his role unchanged.
With the exception of Keiichi Ishii, who was re-appointed as Environment Minister and is a member of the LDP’s coalition Komeito party ally, Abe’s Cabinet all belong to the ruling LDP. Abe last reshuffled his Cabinet lineup on August 3.
Before the special session, which will run through December 9, Abe’s cabinet resigned en masse, with his fourth Cabinet since the Premier retook the helm in 2012, to be sworn in at an attestation ceremony later in the day at the Imperial Palace.
As Abe’s ruling coalition holds a majority in the upper house, the vote for Abe as Prime Minister in the upper chamber, which he also secured, was merely a formality, the report said.
The lower house earlier on Wednesday also re-elected house Speaker Tadamori Oshima and selected Hirotaka Akamatsu, a member of the now main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, as vice speaker.
Abe, who has now become Japan’s 98th Prime Minister, will hold talks with Komeito party leader Natsuo Yamaguchi later in the day.
Abe will likely, in the weeks and months ahead, push for parliamentary debate over the first-ever amendment to Japan’s pacifist Constitution, with the Japanese leader wanting the supreme charter to explicitly make reference to Japan’s Self-Defence Forces.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.