TOKYO: Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Kazuo Yana tendered his resignation to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday (Oct 14) to take responsibility for a series of scandals, including one about his remarks suggesting he had “cut” road budgets for municipalities whose leaders did not support him in the latest House of Representatives election.
“I should not cause trouble to Diet deliberations anymore,” Yana said to reporters following a meeting with Takaichi. “I haven’t been able to focus on my duties as agriculture minister. I cannot allow this situation to continue any longer.”
Separately, Takaichi told reporters that she has accepted his resignation.
“I bear responsibility for [Yana’s] appointment,” she said. “I take his resignation very seriously.” She added that she would announce Yana’s successor on Thursday.
During the lower house Budget Committee session earlier in the day, opposition parties grilled Takaichi over Yana’s camp having provided free shuttle bus transportation for his supporters during the lower house campaigns this year and in 2024.
The prime minister indicated that she intended to determine whether this constituted a violation of laws or regulations.
Regarding the shuttle bus issue, Yana said during the lower house Budget Committee session on Tuesday that his secretary had asked a local election commission in advance and confirmed that there was no illegality in providing a free shuttle bus service.
However, the Tochigi prefectural election commission had issued a statement saying it “could not confirm” that it received such an inquiry.
On this matter, Yana said during the Budget Committee session on Wednesday, “I received a new report from the person in question [the secretary] saying, ‘Perhaps I inquired about the method of recording expenses when preparing the income and expenditure report.’”
This effectively revised his earlier statement to acknowledge the possibility that the secretary had made the inquiry afterward.
Yana explained, “The secretary did not keep a record of this matter,” adding, “Since the secretary himself says so, I suppose that might be the case.”
Takaichi had told the committee that she had received a report by phone from Yana regarding the shuttle bus issue on Tuesday evening.
The prime minister emphasised, “If I determine that there has been a violation of the law, I will not hesitate to make personnel changes.”
Takaichi also said: “Whether this constitutes a violation of the Public Offices Election Law should be determined by the relevant authorities based on the specific facts of the case. At this point, I cannot say whether it is illegal or not.”
The Budget Committee of the upper house — the Senate, formerly called the House of Councillors — is scheduled to meet on Friday and Monday.
The government and the ruling coalition then aim to begin deliberations on the bill on a consumption tax cut and the provision of cash benefits in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
However, there was a growing view within the ruling coalition, caused by concern over the impact of the scandals on Diet deliberations, that Yana’s resignation as agriculture minister was inevitable. – The Yomiuri Shimbun/ANN
