Takaichi Reluctantly Replaces Yana

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Kazuo Yana, submitted his resignation to his boss, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, on October 14th. Takaichi accepted it, but it is commonly recognized that Takaichi had fired him. Yana was accused of his boasting that he had cut road budget for municipalities in his electoral district, which leaders had not supported him in last election. Although Takaichi hopes Yana’s scandal not to affect schedule of discussions of the Diet, opposition parties are still asking responsibility of Takaichi to have chosen inappropriate person for her minister.

 

Takaichi had been supportive for Yana last week, encouraging him to work harder to continue his job as the minister. However, she changed her stance this week toward not ruling his resignation out. In the discussion at the Committee on Budget of the Lower House, Yana could not explain the details of the scandal, in which he was doubted as intervening in the decision of budgetary distribution in the ministry on infrastructure.

 

When Yana’s speech was reported by weekly magazines in late September, Takaichi did not recognize the seriousness of the issue. A lawmaker can check the execution of budget by ministries. However, an elected politician represents interests of all the people. Cutting budget to punish political enemy is unfair. The lawmakers in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) have been building close relationship with ministries to check budget for their hometown. Yana’s behavior might invite fundamental skepticism on their political activities. Takaichi did not realize that concern of LDP people.

 

Moreover, other scandal came up around Yana. Weekly magazines reported that Yana’s campaign office hired shuttle buses for transporting audiences to his rally for free. Yana is also doubted as paying reward for his campaign staffs who made telephone calls to voters. Those activities are legally prohibited. Although Yana denied illegality, he failed in proving that his staffs had reconfirmed the rule of election campaign. With involvement in budget, shuttle bus and rewarding for telephone call, Yana was called “three strikes and you’re out.”

 

Takaichi lagged behind in deciding dismissal of Yana. She picked Yana, knowing he had been involved in the kickback fund scandal of former Abe faction of the LDP. She wanted to put a period on the scandal of the faction which was led by her political mentor, Shinzo Abe. However, the people have not forgotten the scandal that reflected old-style politics of the LDP. Yana’s scandal had the same basis which was motivated by specific interest. That was why LDP lawmakers did not support Yana, who might be igniting fundamental criticisms on LDP politics.

 

Takaichi also ignored Diet schedule, hesitating replacement of Yana. Having a majority in the Upper House, opposition parties were united to propose a censure motion against Yana. Once it is passed, all the discussions would be cancelled. It may jeopardize passage of consumption tax cut bill in current session. To avoid it, she needed to replace Yana by Friday October 9th and restart Diet discussion with new member next week.

 

In the discussion on Tuesday 13th and Wednesday 14th, the opposition parties got a momentum. They started questioning responsibility of Takaichi naming Yana as a cabinet minister. Takaichi is not good at Diet discussion, as seen in the debate in last session over her own scandal of defamation in LDP presidential election last year. Her inability of handling Diet procedures may cause further difficulty in exercising her leadership. 

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