Indicted Japan Lawmaker Ishikawa Quitting Ruling Party

Tokyo, Feb. 11 (Jiji Press)--Japanese lawmaker Tomohiro Ishikawa
tendered a letter of resignation from the ruling Democratic Party of Japan
on Thursday, following his indictment over a political funds scandal related
to DPJ kingpin Ichiro Ozawa.

At a news conference in his constituency in Obihiro, in the
northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, Ishikawa expressed his intention of not
stepping down as a lawmaker of the House of Representatives, the lower
chamber of parliament, saying he wants to fulfill his official
responsibilities.
Ishikawa, 36, submitted the resignation letter to Ozawa,
secretary-general of the DPJ through an agent. Ozawa accepted the offer.
Ishikawa was indicted last week on suspicion of filing falsified
accounting reports for Ozawa's fund management organization, Rikuzankai,
when he was an aide to Ozawa.
Ishikawa told the news conference that he has no plans to ask for a
Lower House ethics panel meeting to testify on the allegation of accounting
irregularities, as he will make explanations in court.
The Social Democratic Party of Japan, a junior coalition partner of
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's DPJ, and the opposition camp are urging him
to testify on the allegation at the Lower House Deliberative Council on
Political Ethics.
Ishikawa rejected the view that Ozawa bears supervisory
responsibility for the money scandal, pointing to prosecutors' decision not
to indict Ozawa.
Ozawa, widely seen as the power behind the Hatoyama government,
earlier this week won the prime minister's approval for keeping his job as
secretary-general of the DPJ.
A shrewd election strategist, Ozawa was a driving force behind the
DPJ's landslide victory in last year's Lower House election, which ended
more than 50 years of almost uninterrupted rule by the Liberal Democratic
Party.
The DPJ will officially approve Ishikawa's resignation from the
party at an executive meeting on Monday.
The ruling party will not take any disciplinary action against
Ishikawa. Regarding the decision, Ozawa told reporters that Ishikawa has not
been held responsible for his authority or duties as a lawmaker.
On Tuesday, Ishikawa expressed his intention of not resigning as a
lawmaker or leaving the DPJ. But amid growing calls within the party for him
to take responsibility, Ishikawa ended up deciding to leave the party.
Ishikawa will work as an independent in the Lower House.
The attempts by Ishikawa and the DPJ to close the scandal with his
departure from the party prompted a chorus of criticism from the LDP and
other opposition parties.
The opposition parties urged Ishikawa to give sworn testimony
before parliament and demanded a vote on an opposition-sponsored resolution
seeking Ishikawa's resignation as lawmaker.

Attachments:
untitled-[2] 4.1 k [ text/html ] Download | View
Delete & Prev | Delete & Next