Japan’s trade Minister Isshu Sugawara, on Friday, handed in his resignation amid allegations that he violated the election law by giving a supporter in his Tokyo constituency cash and gifts.
The abrupt resignation came just barely a month after Sugawara assumed his new post as the Trade Minister in a Cabinet reshuffled by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The reshuffle meant was aimed at boosting public support for an administration that had been plagued by ruling Liberal Democratic Party ministers’ gaffes and scandals, with the latest impropriety dealing a fresh headache for the Japanese premier.
Abe, who had to deal with nine of his Cabinet ministers resigning since he returned to power in 2012, conceded to newsmen that the onus of responsibility lied with him for appointing Sugawara in the first place.
“The responsibility lies with me for having appointed him, having accepted Sugawara’s resignation.
“Though, sources close to the controversy said that Sugawara was asked to relinquish his post by the prime minister’s office in a bid to lessen the damage to the administration.
“The latest scandal to rock Abe’s the administration is based on allegations made by the Shukan Bunshun weekly magazine that Sugawara offered 20,000 yen (or 184 U.S. dollars) to a bereaved family in mid-October.
However, Japan’s public office’s election law prohibits politicians from making donations to voters in their home constituencies, and as such, opposition party members had been vehemently calling for Sugawara to step down.
According to the magazine, Sugawara, whose office also sent flowers to the funerals of numerous bereaved families in 2019, was planning to explain himself in parliament but opted to resign so as not to delay the parliamentary session.
“I apologize for stepping down at a time when there is so much that needs to be done.
“I do not want the Diet session to be held up, to be unable to deliberate on legislation because of me. Nor do I want to hold up economic and industrial policy, nor the government as a whole, “Sugawara said.
Earlier, Abe said that Hiroshi Kajiyama, 64, a former minister in charge of regulatory reform, would replace Sugawara as trade minister, and Kajiyama had been formally sworn in by Emperor Naruhito.
