Japan's beleaguered Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, only one year into his premiership, is facing a recurring nightmare on Monday, after his third agriculture minister and fifth cabinet member resigned over a financial scandal.
Takehiko Endo, the agriculture, forestry and fisheries minister, ended his seven-day term on Monday, several days after a farmers' mutual aid association he headed was found to have illegally obtained 1.15 million yen (about 9,900 U.S. dollars) in government subsidies in 1999.
Endo said he decided to resign "out of consideration for not damaging public trust over farm administration" and apologized to the premier.
Endo was appointed farm minister when Abe reshuffled his cabinet on Aug. 27, in a last-ditch effort to regain public trust following his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)'s crushing defeat in an upper house election in July.
The LDP suffered in the House of Councilors election in late July, losing the majority in the upper house for the first time since the party was founded in 1955.
Endo's resignation dealt another blow to the already embattled Abe cabinet, despite the fact that the premier has admitted responsibility and refused to step down.
The opposition bloc and even the LDP's minor coalition partner, the Komeito Party, lashed out at the Endo scandal, piling further pressure on Abe, who will face another challenge at next week's extraordinary Diet session.
At the Diet session, Abe is expected to strive for the extension of an anti-terrorism law, which the opposition party has already indicated that it opposes.
Since forming in September 2006, the Abe government has been beset by scandals. Including Endo, three successive farm ministers have failed to stay in the post. Toshikatsu Matsuoka committed suicide in May over a fund scandal, and his successor Norihiko Akagi resigned two months after taking office for a similar scandal.
Source: Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article