Opposition parties jointly demand Suzuki be summoned as a sworn witness

Four opposition party heads held a meeting on February 27 in the Diet building and agreed to jointly demand that Suzuki Muneo, Liberal Democratic Party House of Representatives member, be summoned to the Diet as a sworn witness over allegations that he interfered with Foreign Ministry affairs.

Leaders of the Japanese Communist, Democratic, Liberal, and Social Democratic parties rejected the ruling parties' view that the next fiscal year budget should be given priority in the parliamentary business, showing a clear reluctance to have Suzuki appear as a sworn witness before the Lower House Budget Committee.

At a press conference after the meeting, JCP Executive Committee Chair Shii Kazuo said that the crux of the allegation about Suzuki and the Foreign Ministry is that a politician and the government colluded in wasting government tax money.

Pointing out that the executive branch is responsible for controlling the national budget and that the government is losing the public trust as a result of the scandal, Shii said that all the facts about the scandal must be established before starting the discussion on the draft national budget. (end)