He reappointed all of his ministers, who were selected in a reshuffle in August. The reappointments are a bid to pursue continuity of key economic and diplomatic policies. The last time Japan's prime minister reappointed his entire cabinet was in 2005, when Junichiro Koizumi was in power.

Among those reappointed are Taro Aso, deputy prime minister and finance minister; Taro Kono, foreign minister; Itsunori Onodera, defense minister; and Yoshihide Suga, chief cabinet secretary.

Of the 20 ministers, two are women -- Seiko Noda, minister of internal affairs and communication, and Yoko Kamikawa, minister of justice.

Abe is expected to hold a news conference on Wednesday evening to explain how his new government will operate.

Abe's Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner Komeito won a resounding victory in the Oct. 22 poll. Having dissolved the all-important lower chamber of parliament to trigger the election, Abe took the victory as a vote of confidence in his government.

Wednesday's special parliamentary session also re-elected LDP member Tadamori Oshima as speaker of the lower house and Hirotaka Akamatsu, a member of the Constitutional Democratic Party, as vice speaker.

As newly elected prime minister, Abe will hold talks with Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi to confirm that the two parties will continue to govern in coalition. A new cabinet will be formed soon after the talks.

(Nikkei)