Tokyo Gov. Yoichi Masuzoe has decided to step down over allegations that he misused political funds, sources close to him have told the Mainichi Shimbun.
Masuzoe is poised to submit his resignation to Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly President Shigeo Kawai as early as the morning of June 15.
All seven political parties and factions in the assembly have submitted a no-confidence motion against the governor to the assembly's steering committee. The assembly was expected to approve the motion at a plenary session on the afternoon of June 15.
Seperate source:
Embattled Tokyo Gov. Yoichi Masuzoe will step down over the political funds scandal he is embroiled in, a source in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party said Wednesday as the metropolitan assembly prepared to pass a no-confidence motion against him later in the day.
On Tuesday, Masuzoe made a desperate plea to key committee members to grant him a “moratorium” to allow him to stay at the helm at least until the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August, while all parties and factions, including the LDP, filed the motions with the steering committee of the Tokyo assembly.
This apparently led to Masuzoe’s decision to step down. His resignation is likely have a negative effect on Tokyo’s hosting of the Olympics in 2020.
The former health minister first came under fire in April after he was found to have used official cars to travel frequently between Tokyo and his vacation home in neighboring Kanagawa Prefecture and spent more than ¥200 million on nine overseas trips since taking office in February 2014.
What has also fueled anger among the public was his seemingly defiant behavior on the issues at the beginning. He told a Hong Kong reporter at a press conference on April 1, “Will a Hong Kong leader stay at a second-class business hotel? Don’t you think that’s embarrassing?”
He also said visiting his vacation home in the hot springs resort area of Yugawara is important to carry out his job because he can “feel refreshed and keep fit” by going there, where he has a big bath that enables him to “stretch (his) legs.”
Masuzoe is poised to submit his resignation to Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly President Shigeo Kawai as early as the morning of June 15.
All seven political parties and factions in the assembly have submitted a no-confidence motion against the governor to the assembly's steering committee. The assembly was expected to approve the motion at a plenary session on the afternoon of June 15.
Seperate source:
Embattled Tokyo Gov. Yoichi Masuzoe will step down over the political funds scandal he is embroiled in, a source in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party said Wednesday as the metropolitan assembly prepared to pass a no-confidence motion against him later in the day.
On Tuesday, Masuzoe made a desperate plea to key committee members to grant him a “moratorium” to allow him to stay at the helm at least until the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August, while all parties and factions, including the LDP, filed the motions with the steering committee of the Tokyo assembly.
This apparently led to Masuzoe’s decision to step down. His resignation is likely have a negative effect on Tokyo’s hosting of the Olympics in 2020.
The former health minister first came under fire in April after he was found to have used official cars to travel frequently between Tokyo and his vacation home in neighboring Kanagawa Prefecture and spent more than ¥200 million on nine overseas trips since taking office in February 2014.
What has also fueled anger among the public was his seemingly defiant behavior on the issues at the beginning. He told a Hong Kong reporter at a press conference on April 1, “Will a Hong Kong leader stay at a second-class business hotel? Don’t you think that’s embarrassing?”
He also said visiting his vacation home in the hot springs resort area of Yugawara is important to carry out his job because he can “feel refreshed and keep fit” by going there, where he has a big bath that enables him to “stretch (his) legs.”
