Japan Press Weekly

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2017 June 28 - July 4 [POLITICS]

4 opposition parties demand PM Abe remove DM Inada from Cabinet

The leaders of four opposition parties on June 29 published a joint statement demanding that Prime Minister Abe Shinzo dismiss Defense Minister Inada Tomomi for again making controversial remarks.

Inada, in her recent stump speech, called on the public to vote for Liberal Democratic Party candidates in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election by saying, “As Defense Minister on behalf of the Defense Ministry and the Self-Defense Forces as well as of the LDP, I ask for your votes.”

The opposition party heads’ statement criticizes the Inada remark for violating not only the Public Offices Election Act but also the SDF Act and demands that PM Abe remove Inada from the Cabinet. The joint statement asserts, “It is unforgivable to keep such a thoughtless person, who talks as if she has the authority to politically and personally use the SDF, in the key post as Defense Minister.”

The Diet is not in session now, but the statement insists that the swift convening of Budget Committee meetings is necessary to hold the Prime Minister responsible for appointing Inada. It also demands that an extraordinary session be promptly called as requested by the opposition parties based on Article 53 of the Constitution.

The Democratic Party lawmaker in charge of Diet affairs handed to his LDP counterpart this statement issued in the joint names of JCP Chair Shii Kazuo, DP President Renho, Liberal Party head Ozawa Ichiro, and Social Democratic Party head Yoshida Tadatomo.

LDP Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Takeshita Wataru said in response that he will convey the demand for Inada’s dismissal to the Prime Minister’s Office. As for the holding of an extraordinary session, he replied, “At this point, we have no intention to do so.” He, however, implied that the LDP may make a decision after carefully considering the results of the Tokyo metro election.