Japan Press Weekly

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2013 May 8 - 14 [POLITICS]

Chair of Upper House committee fired over neglect of duty

The House of Councilors passed a resolution on May 9 to dismiss the chairwoman of the House Environment Committee by a majority of all opposition parties, because the chair put priority on her trip abroad rather than on her official duties. She was discharged on the day.

As a rule, a chair of a standing committee of either of the Houses is not allowed to travel abroad during the Diet session.

Kawaguchi Yoriko, a lawmaker of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party who chaired the Upper House Environment Committee, was exceptionally permitted to make a trip to China from April 23 to 24. However, without approval from the House Steering Committee, she extended her stay in the country because of “talks with very important persons” and canceled the committee meeting scheduled for April 25.

The resolution proposed by seven opposition parties, including the Japanese Communist Party, criticized Kawaguchi for failing to carry out her duties and thus being “unfit for the position.”

Kawaguchi insisted that her travel extension was in the “national interest,” and the LDP and its coalition partner Komei Party began to boycott Budget Committee meetings as a protest against the resolution.

JCP Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi said, “While breaking the rules, the chair and her party deny any wrongdoing. This clearly shows the LDP’s arrogance of power, which has to be reined in.”