Koizumi re-elected as Japanese Prime Minister

Japan’s lower house of Parliament today re-elected Junichiro Koizumi as Prime Minister, following the ruling coalition’s landslide victory in elections last week.

Japan’s upper house confirmed the re-election of Prime Minister Koizumi.

The 480-member lower house, which the ruling coalition controls with a two-thirds majority, cast 340 votes for Koizumi’s re-election.

Koizumi’s Cabinet resigned en masse earlier today to pave the way for the vote.

He is expected to reappoint all Cabinet members after the vote in the upper house.