Japan Press Weekly

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2009 December 23 - 2010 January 5 [POLITICS]

Hatoyama urged to come clean on fund scandal

At the press conference in the Diet on December 24, Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi urged Hatoyama to take the political and moral responsibility required to probe into the scandal.

Ichida stated, “This being a fund scandal involving a prime minister, Hatoyama should investigate into the alleged inappropriate fund management and explain to voters why he needed such a large amount of political funds and how he spent them.”

“When he was in the opposition camp, Hatoyama argued that a crime committed by a politician’s secretary should be considered a crime of the politician. He must stand by this pronouncement,” Ichida added.

In addition to the money scandal involving Democratic Party leader Hatoyama, another scandal involving Secretary General Ozawa Ichiro is now shaking the ruling party.

“This requires the DPJ to take self-cleansing actions so that Hatoyama tell the truth about the allegation before the public,” Ichida stressed. Asked by a reporter if the JCP will inquire into the matter at the ordinary session of the Diet next year in case the prime minister fails to admit to his accountability, Ichida answered, “Most definetely. Unless he makes a full disclosure on his role in the funding issue, the JCP will push for a thorough inquiry into his political responsibility in the scandal.”
- Akahata, December 25, 2009