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2017 July 5 - 11 TOP3 [POLITICS]

Shii: Diet discussions on ‘Moritomo’ and ‘Kake’ scandals without Abe is out of the question

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on July 5 before the press criticized the Liberal Democratic Party’s proposal to hold Diet meetings without PM Abe to investigate the “Moritomo” and “Kake” scandals during the current recess, saying, “It’s simply out of the question.”

Shii stressed, “PM Abe’s alleged involvement in the two scandals is the point at issue. Therefore, the presence of PM Abe in Diet discussions is essential.” Shii said that the JCP will demand an intensive discussion in both houses’ Budget Committee meetings with PM Abe in attendance.

Furthermore, citing the demand of the JCP and three other opposition parties for an extraordinary Diet session based on Article 53 of the Constitution, Shii said that the Abe Cabinet should immediately decide to hold an extraordinary session.

Asked about the LDP’s crushing defeat in the July 2 Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election, Shii said, “In the election, the PM Abe-led ruling party received a red card from voters. The Abe administration should take Tokyoites’ judgement seriously and call an immediate general election in order to seek the people’s verdict on Abe’s personalization of power and unconstitutional, high-handed handling of politics.”

Shii made these remarks at Haneda Airport before he left for NYC to attend the ongoing UN Conference finalizing a nuclear weapons ban treaty.

Past related articles:
> JCP advances in Tokyo assembly election and LDP suffers crushing defeat [ July 4, 2017]
> JCP will demand convening of extraordinary Diet session [June 22, 2017]