LDP stalwart resigns after exposure of his vote fraud in Upper House

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

LDP stalwart resigns after exposure of his vote fraud in Upper House

Liberal Democratic Party representative Wakabayashi Masatoshi, a former agriculture minister, on April 2 stepped down from the House of Councilors to take responsibility for his improper act in which he cast a vote on behalf of his colleague Aoki Mikio who was absent at the time of voting during the House plenary session.

His fraudulent vote is an unprecedented act of dishonesty, shaking the very foundation of parliamentary democracy.

Wakabayashi admitted to the fact that at the time of the vote on March 31, he pretended to be ex-LDP Upper House leader Aoki, whose Diet seat is next to Wakabayashi, and cast a ballot in Aoki’s behalf concerning ten bills that include a bill on tuition-free public high schools.

Japanese Communist Party Policy Commission Chair Koike Akira at a press conference held in the Diet on the same day stated, “One of the most important tasks the Diet members assume is to participate in the Diet vote. As trustees representing hundreds of thousands of people, Dietmembers must carefully examine all the bills submitted to the Diet and vote on them.”

Koike added, “The LDP must look into this matter to determine if it has overlooked similar wrongdoings before.”

- Akahata, April 3, 2010