Fukuda to be Japan`s prime minister form cabinet

Fukuda is expected to give his first news conference as prime minister after an attestation ceremony is held at the Imperial Palace.

The biggest short-term challenge for the new prime minister will be to steer the party through the current political deadlock with the opposition camp, including the imminent showdown in parliament over continuing Japan`s refueling mission for U.S-led antiterrorism operations in and around Afghanistan.

Other pressing tasks will be to shore up the party base after the LDP`s significant setback in the July election, as well as rectifying the widening social and economic disparities between urban and rural areas, and working on pension issues.