Japan’s Lower House speaker to face no confidence motion

Tokyo, June 3 (UNI/Sputnik) The opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) will submit a no confidence motion against Hiroyuki Hosoda, the speaker of the lower house of the country’s parliament and the member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, due to sexual harassment allegations and his criticism of government plans, Japanese media reported on Friday.
The CDP leadership made the decision at a meeting earlier in the day, after Hosoda has repeatedly expressed doubts about the need to introduce changes in electoral districts, despite the post of the speaker obliging him to remain neutral.
The step was also prompted by recent media reports accusing Hosoda of sexual harassment of journalists. The speaker allegedly asked women reporters he worked with whether they had a boyfriend. Then he reportedly called them late at night with an invitation to visit his house, saying that everything will be alright, since the building is guarded by police officers.
In addition, the opposition recalled Hosoda’s complaints about a very small salary of “only 1 million yen [$7,693] per month,” which, in fact, is significantly above the average wage level in the country. Such statements have engendered wide public outrage amid a dire economic situation in Japan caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hosoda has held several ministerial posts and served as the chief cabinet secretary. Until 2021, he also led the largest faction in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which includes 94 lawmakers. Given that the current session of the Japanese parliament ends on June 15 and elections to the upper house will be held in July, the scandal around one of the most influential ruling party’s politicians may become a bright pre-election chord for the opposition.