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The opposition Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito parties said Saturday they are planning to submit a censure motion against Defense Minister Yasuo Ichikawa on Dec 9, the last day of the current Diet session.
Ichikawa returned to Tokyo on Saturday after visiting Okinawa to apologize to Okinawa Gov Hirokazu Nakaima for “rape” remarks made by a defense ministry official last week in explaining the government’s controversial plan to relocate the Futenma base in Okinawa.
Ichikawa has also come under fire for remarks in the Diet, indicating an apparent lack of knowledge about the U.S. base issue in Okinawa as well as the 1995 rape of a 12-year-old Okinawan girl by three U.S. servicemen in 1995.
Nobuteru Ishihara, secretary general of the LDP, said that Ichikawa deserves a "red card" for his poor performance in his job.
The LDP and New Komeito have also urged Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda to fire Ichikawa. The opposition parties have hinted that they will boycott deliberations once the Diet reconvenes in January if Ichikawa is still in his job.
© Japan Today
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Patrick Hattman
How about spending the time working on resolving the Futenma issue instead of petty party politics?
plasticmonkey
An appropriate metaphor from a politician who sees his job as a game. The opposition is not going to do any work for the good of the nation unless Ichikawa is fired? Shame on them and shame on the electorate who support these bozos.
Blair Herron
The followings are the things LDP and Komeito have been criticizing.
When Ichikawa was appointed Defense Ministry last September, he said, "I am amateur concerning security. I am a layman where national security is concerned, which means I am putting it under civilian control in the truest sense of the term."
Ichikawa sat out a state banquet at the Imperial Palace for the visiting king and queen of Bhutan, and attended a fund-raiser for a fellow legislator instead. He reportedly said in his speech, "This (fund-raiser) is more important (than the state banquet)."
On the issue of the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Ichikawa told Okinawa Governor "Having been born and raised in Ishikawa Prefecture where the Komatsu Base of the Air Self-Defense Force is located, I fully understand the pain (of the people of Okinawa)."But anyone with a little knowledge of Okinawa's history would never have equated an ASDF base to a U.S. military base.
And now this. At a parliamentary session he "does not know in detail" about the 1995 rape of a 12-year-old girl in Okinawa by three U.S. servicemen.The incident was a significant event in triggering the process of reviewing the heavy concentration of military forces in Okinawa.
Blair Herron
Maehara also criticized Defense Minister. "He has too much more to learn. He will not be able to better handle security issues and the relationship with the US. Because Prime minister appointed him, it is the prime minister who should make the decision. Or Ichikawa's voluntary resignation is desirable."
CrazyJoe
Ichikawa will most likely resign before the censure motion (although not legally binding) passes in the Upper House on Dec. 9th.
Scrote
The usual LDP posturing once again. They will go on and on and on and on and on until Ichikawa resigns. Then they will ask Noda to take responsibility for appointing Ichikawa and go on and on and on and on and on about it, boycott the Diet, lose a vote of no-confidence in Noda etc.
If Nobuteru Ishihara thinks Ichikawa should resign because of his remarks maybe he should also be calling for the resignation of his dad, who has made many more idiotic and offensive remarks and is a world-class clown. Yet young Nobu has nothing to say about that. The hypocrisy of these LDP weasels is quite something.
plasticmonkey
right on Scrote-- @Blair Herron: That Ichikawa is unfit for the job is apparent. He's a dolt. My problem is with the LDP's way of dealing with the issue, i.e. obstructing the functioning of the diet for the sake of playing the opposition role to the hilt.
Blair Herron
@plasticmonkey True! Tanigaki is pretty disappointing. Even Koizumi Shinjiro has been criticizing him.
NuckinFutz
Japanese politicians are entertaining in a truly pathetic way! The DPJ is a collection of circus clowns and the LDP a bunch of has-been right-wing corrupt old geezers!
smithinjapan
The man does indeed deserve to be censured, but it coming from the opposition in the form of petty political bickering diminishes the need for it somewhat.
As for the whole 'red card' thing -- how can you take that seriously when the people want to censure this man for his language? Granted, saying he deserves a 'red card' is not at all the same thing as Ichikawa's rape comment, but it's still pretty unprofessional and silly, particularly given the nature of the censure.
globalwatcher
Why don't they spend more time on real issues; GDP growth and a job creation?
nath
Another bunch of gezzers' time-wasting tactics? Why are these parties reacting this way to such "crude" comments? Sure, he should be slapped in the wrist for saying such things, but the resignation should be coming from the Okinawa residents themselves. Is the comment invasive or offensive in the Okinawa dialect? Are the Okinawa residents complaining?
How many more pointless Diet sessions are these parties intending to use (NK soccer defeat, crude language, etc) instead of addressing more pressing and relevant issues?