LDP Upper House member steps down over violation of election law

   Kobayashi Yutaka, a Liberal Democratic Party House of Councilors member elected from the Kanagawa prefectural constituency in the July Upper House election, on September 4 resigned as Dietmember to take responsibility for his chief accountant’s violation of the Public Office Election Law in the election.

   Kobayashi’s resignation came only one day after Endo Takehiko’s resignation as Agricultural Minister and delivered a further heavy blow to the Abe cabinet.

   According to the indictment, Kobayashi’s accountant handed a total of 1.53 million yen to 24 campaigners, including students, as reward for their on-street distribution of handbills.

   Hatano Kimie, Japanese Communist Party candidate in the constituency, on the same day stated, “His resignation is not surprising but came too late. The JCP will continue to take the lead in criticizing the corruption in the Abe LDP-Komei government.”                                                                      - Akahata, September 5, 2007