Former Agriculture Minister Taku Eto is expected to be re-elected to that position, replacing Yasuhiro Kozato, who lost his seat in the Lower House elections and announced his intention to resign.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Nov. 3 began making arrangements to name Eto, 64, the new Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in the Cabinet, the sources said.

Ishiba faces his own challenge when a special session of the Diet opens on Nov. 11 and lawmakers in both chambers vote on who should be prime minister.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party coalition of Ishiba and Komeito lost its majority in the October 27 Lower House elections. Kozato was one of the coalition’s electoral victims.

Eto was elected eight times to the Lower House from Miyazaki district number 2. He became Agriculture Minister in 2019 during Shinzo Abe’s second administration.

Ishiba is speeding up the process to select three replacement cabinet ministers.

Justice Minister Hideki Makihara also lost his Lower House seat in the election.

And Tetsuo Saito is expected to become the new leader of Komeito. He will likely resign as Lands Minister to focus on revitalizing the party.