Japan PM adds Cabinet jobs on tsunami, nuke crisis

[June 27, 2011]  TOKYO (AP) -- Japan's embattled prime minister has created two Cabinet posts to oversee the nuclear crisis and tsunami reconstruction efforts as he hopes to shore up his administration.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Monday named Ryu Matsumoto as reconstruction minister and made Goshi Hosono his minister in charge of handling the crisis at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant.

He also gave special advisory positions to two other senior politicians.

Kan is under pressure to resign because of a perceived lack of leadership following the March 11 disaster. He has said he would be willing to step down, but only after significant steps are made toward putting Japan's recovery on a solid footing.

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.