Japanese Reconstruction Minister Akiba told reporters on Tuesday that he had to resign so as not to jeopardize parliamentary debate. Opposition parties accused Akiba of violating election laws and having ties to the controversial Unification Church. Akiba has denied the allegations.
“I take my responsibility as an order taker very seriously,” Kishida said after Akiba’s resignation. “By fulfilling my political responsibilities, I hope to fulfill my duties as prime minister.” Kyodo news agency reported that Akiba would be replaced by former Reconstruction Minister Hiromichi Watanabe.
AP/The Yomiuri Shimbun/Masanori Genko Akiba resigns as reconstruction minister – the fourth ministerial resignation in just a few months
Media: Kishida worried about budget law
According to Japanese media reports, Kishida called for Akiba’s resignation, in part to prevent the minister’s scandal from torpedoing upcoming parliamentary debates on a budget bill. The new budget includes a sharp increase in defense spending, which Kishida hopes to counter growing threats from China and North Korea.
Also on Tuesday, the Prime Minister accepted the resignation of Deputy Interior Minister Mio Sugita, who had made derogatory remarks about sexual and ethnic minorities in the past. Sugita said in 2018 that same-sex couples who don’t have children are “unproductive”. In 2016, at a UN session, she referred to those wearing traditional ethnic dress as “costumed middle-aged women”.
Abe’s murder puts religious group in the spotlight
In the polls, Kishida’s cabinet is slipping further. His approval ratings have already plummeted after deep ties between the ruling LDP’s politicians and the Unification Church were exposed following the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July.
The religious group, founded in South Korea in 1954 by Sun Myung Moon, revered as the Messiah, is seen by critics as a cult. In recent months, three ministers have resigned over funding scandals and connections to the Unification Church.
Portal/Franck Robichon The assassination of former Prime Minister Abe sparked debate over controversial Unification Church
Tetsuya Yamagami, suspected of shooting former prime minister Abe dead during an election speech in the western city of Nara, told investigators he targeted the politician because he believed Abe had links to the Unification Church – the latter made by the alleged murderer responsible for his family’s bankruptcy. As a result, the debate over the religious group has picked up speed again.
Premier ordered investigation
Akiba, who has now resigned, has denied any connection to the church. However, he admitted that the LDP department he headed paid 48,000 yen (US$400) to two church-affiliated companies, which Akiba claimed were magazine subscriptions, according to the Kyodo news agency.
Kishida ordered an investigation into the finances and organization of the Unification Church, and more recently, he supported a new law designed to help victims of the church’s controversial giving methods. Akiba’s resignation has led to “renewed criticism” of Kishida’s political judgment, writes the Guardian.
Just a few weeks ago, Minoru Terada resigned as Minister of the Interior. Terada faced criticism for several funding scandals. Justice Minister Yasuhiro Hanashi resigned in mid-November after being criticized for several statements, including a joke about the death penalty. Economic revitalization minister Daishiro Yamagiwa, on the other hand, was condemned for ties to the religious group. He resigned at the end of October.
Kishida’s Cabinet Slumps in Polls
Debates over the controversial Unification Church will presumably continue to occupy Japan in the coming year. So Kishida’s start to the new year is extremely bad: according to the Guardian, the cabinet’s approval ratings are approaching the “danger threshold” of 30%. In spring local elections, Kishida’s party could be taught a lesson.
According to a Kyodo poll last week, support for the cabinet dropped to 33.1% – the lowest level since Kishida became prime minister in October last year.
Ministerial reshuffle in January?
Portal reported speculation that Kishida was planning a cabinet reshuffle in early January, due to dwindling government support. “I’m not saying I’ll never consider a cabinet reshuffle, I’m just saying I won’t consider one over the New Year holiday,” Kishida said.
Kishida succeeded Yoshihide Suga in 2021, who had only been in office for a year. Suga has drawn voter frustration and anger with his coronavirus policy and slow economic development. The LDP has been in power almost continuously since it was founded in 1955.