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2018 May 30 - June 5 TOP3 [POLITICS]

Shii demands the mass resignation of Abe Cabinet

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo in a leader-to-leader debate with Prime Minister Abe Shinzo held on May 31 for the first time in one and half year demanded Abe's resignation by stating, "You and your wife's involvement in the 'Kake Gakuen' and 'Moritomo Gakuen' scandals has become crystal clear."

One year has passed since the two allegations surfaced. Attempts by bureaucrats and the government to deceive the parliament and the public have become obvious to everyone. Their futile resistance remains an obstacle to uncovering the whole truth.

Shii in the debate pointed out five important points:

First is the falsification of official documents regarding a state-owned land deal with Moritomo Gakuen. The government itself admitted to the fact that it started to tamper with the documents in late February 2017.

The second is that the government also admitted that its response to Diet questions, "Official records of negotiations with Moritomo Gakuen were destroyed and there is no such data left," had been false. In short, the government intended to conceal the existence of the records.

The third is that these official negotiation records were actually destroyed. In line with the "records were destroyed" response, the government in fact disposed of the data, which had still been stored at that time, after late February last year, according to the government's own admission.

The forth is the coverup of the Education Ministry's internal documents regarding the opening of a veterinary medicine school at Kake Gakuen. The government at first claimed that they were "anonymous documents". However, after former Vice Minister of Education Maekawa Kihei testified before the Diet, the government admitted to the existence of the memoranda.

The fifth is that the answer given in July last year in the Diet by Yanase Tadao, former secretary to the Prime Minister, turned out to be false. Yanase initially denied his meeting with Imabari City (Ehime Pref.) officials on April 2, 2015. He at that time said, "I don't recall such a meeting." However, in May this year, Yanase admitted to the fact that he had met the people involved in Kake Gakuen three times at the Prime Minister's Office on or around April 2, 2015.

Shii asked Abe, "Why is it that such false statements were made?" Abe in trying to evade giving a clear answer said, "Some debates have been a kind of 'he-said, she-said' thing."

Shii in response said, "Everybody knows why. Everything has been done to protect you, Mr. Prime Minister."

On February 17 last year, regarding the allegation surrounding Moritomo Gakuen, PM Abe in the Diet said, "If my wife or I myself were found to be linked, I would resign as Prime Minister and as a Dietmember as well." As for the Kake Gakuen scandal, PM Abe on March 13 last year said also in the Diet, "I would accept the blame if evidence showed my involvement."

Taking up these remarks, Shii said, "If you had spoken the truth, the bureaucrats wouldn't have had to perform dishonest acts. But they actually did, which means your Diet responses were deceitful."

Past related articles:
> Ehime Prefecture’s records cast suspicion on PM Abe about false statement regarding Kake veterinary school [May 22, 2018]
> Yanase unwittingly highlights Abe’s involvement in ‘Kake’ scandal [May 11, 2018]
> Cabinet Office via e-mail informed Education Ministry of schedule of meetings with 'Kake Gakuen' [April 21, 2018]
> Onus of proof over school scandals lies with gov't: JCP Miyamoto [April 12, 2018]
> Notes taken by Ehime Pref. official: Kake Gakuen new faculty is matter of interest to Prime Minister [ April 11, 2018]