Tokyo, Oct. 14 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged agriculture minister Kazuo Yana on Wednesday to give full explanations on his alleged public offices election law violation. At a meeting of the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, the Japanese parliament, Takaichi said she received a report by phone from Yana on Tuesday night regarding the allegations that his camp gave his supporters free shuttle bus transportation to the venue for a kick-off meeting during the campaign period for the February election for the Lower House. “I can’t answer at this moment whether this was illegal,” Takaichi said. “I want Yana to fulfill his accountability.” “Relevant authorities should conclude whether he violated the election law based on the specific facts of the case,” Takaichi said. “I will not hesitate to replace him if I reach a conclusion that he violated the law,” she added. Yana signaled his intention to remain in office, saying, “I want to do my utmost to fulfill my responsibilities.” The minister emphasized at Tuesday’s meeting of the Budget Committee that a member of his staff had asked a relevant local election board in advance about the use of a bus for the shuttle service and was informed that there were no legal problems. At Wednesday’s meeting, Yana said he was told by a secretary that a staff member may have made an inquiry about how to record the bus expenses in an income and expenditure report. “There were no records left” on how the matter was handled at the time, he added. On Tuesday, the government of the Sakhalin region in the Russian Far East announced that a delegation comprising local government officials and business representatives from the northeastern China province of Heilongjiang has visited Etorofu, one of the four Russian-controlled northwestern Pacific islands claimed by Japan. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi criticized the move at Wednesday’s Budget Committee meeting, saying that the visit is “absolutely unacceptable.” Tokyo urged Russia and China through diplomatic channels on Tuesday to respond to the matter appropriately. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
