Japanese Justice Minister resigns over gaffe

[News_Editor]

Japanese Justice Minister resigns over gaffe

2010-11-22 20:00:13 GMT+7 (ICT)

TOKYO (BNO NEWS) -- Japanese Justice Minister Minoru Yanagida on Monday announced his resignation following a joke that implied that his job was "easy" as he could avoid any questioning with a couple of phrases.

"The prime minister told me to understand that for the public good, the government needs to have an extra budget for fiscal 2010 pass the Diet as soon as possible," Yanagida said during a press conference. "Given that my indiscreet remark in Hiroshima is becoming an obstacle, I conveyed my resignation to the prime minister."

On November 14, Yanagida, 56, said being a justice minister "is easy, as I only have to remember two phrases, either of which I can use in parliament whenever I'm stuck for an answer."

"I refrain from making comments on a specific issue," and, "we're dealing with the matter based on laws and evidence," Yanagida added, referring to the two phrases.

Following his comments , the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party prepared a motion, and Yanagida, House of Councillors member of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, was being pressured to resign.

"He may have said those things half-jokingly, but even so, he can't get away with it," said Katsuya Okada, Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General.

Yanagida initially denied his possible resignation, stating he wanted to resolve several judicial issues, but he made the annoucement after a meeting with Prime Minister Naoto Kan Monday morning

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku will concurrently serve as justice minister for the time being.

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