Japanese Vice Minister at Risk of Losing Job for "Improper Remarks"
Vice Minister Tsukuda acknowledged that his remarks had shaken trust in the government and apologized for them.
Earlier this week, Tsukada Ichiro, Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, made a comment that raised many questions.
In his remarks on the road construction project connecting Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture and Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture, Tsukada referred to Shimonoseki as Abe's constituency and Fukuoka as Deputy Prime Minister Aso Taro's constituency.
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| Mr. Ichiro Tsukada, Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan. Photo: NHK. |
He said that since neither the Prime Minister nor the Deputy Prime Minister could speak on issues related to their respective constituencies, he assumed they thought so.
Because of this statement, in recent days, at government and parliamentary meetings, MPs and cabinet members have repeatedly questioned Mr. Tsukada, asking him to clarify the reasons behind such a statement.
Meanwhile, this morning (April 5th), a representative of the Liberal Democratic Party stated that Vice Minister Tsukuda is likely to resign due to his remarks. Opposition parties also believe that Tsukuda's resignation is justified. However, some argue that because local elections are taking place nationwide, Tsukuda's resignation at this time could affect the election results.
Mr. Tsukuda himself has admitted that he made statements that contradicted the truth, causing trust in the government to waver, and has apologized for these remarks.
Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo commented on remarks made by Vice Minister of Land and Infrastructure Tsukada Ichiro. Mr. Tsukada is currently under criticism for his comments regarding a road project related to the Prime Minister's constituency. Abe said the Vice Minister needed to provide a clear explanation, and while his remarks were problematic, he would remain in his position.