Naoto Kan, Japan's finance minister and the favourite to become its fifth new prime minister in less than four years, has signalled he will keep most cabinet colleagues in their posts if he is today elected head of the ruling Democratic party.
Speaking after winning the backing of a clutch of influential DPJ ministers and potential rivals, Mr Kan vowed to put together economic and fiscal policies plans that would give Japan strong growth, secure public finances and better welfare.
Mr Kan's bid to become prime minister was boosted by the emergence yesterday of only one rival candidate, Shinji Tarutoko, 50, a little known Diet lower house member running on a promise of generational change.