Japan's Reconstruction Minister Matsumoto resigns after one week

Japan's Reconstruction Minister Matsumoto resigns after one week

2011-07-06 00:49:30 GMT+7 (ICT)

TOKYO (BNO NEWS) -- Japan's Reconstruction Minister Ryu Matsumoto on Tuesday resigned after just one week on the post following some offensive remarks against two governors, the Japan Times reported.

Matsumoto was in charge of the reconstruction following the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan earlier this year. He was replaced by Tatsuo Hirano, 57, who served as senior vice minister of disaster reconstruction.

Over the weekend, Matsumoto met with Iwate Governor Takuya Tasso and Miyagi Governor Yoshihiro Murai and made a series of remarks widely regarded as arrogant, including one claiming that "the government will not help municipalities that do not come up with ideas."

The resignation was another blow to the government of Prime Minister Naoto Kan who created the new ministry position last week in order to finalize reconstruction efforts in Japan and put an end to the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima power plant.

Opposition parties have continuously called for the resignation of the Premier but Kan said that he will step down after putting Japan on a solid recovery path. Kan is expected to resign by the end of August.

However, Kan intends to secure the parliamentary passage of the second extra budget, as well as a bill that will allow the government to issue bonds in order to cover the year's fiscal deficit before stepping down.

In the beginning of June, Kan survived a no-confidence vote after abruptly announcing his intention to resign after the nuclear crisis and the earthquake and tsunami relief efforts were concluded, promising the younger generation to take over his duties.

On June 23, the government announced a budget of 2 trillion yen ($24.8 billion) to be distributed to cover compensation claims. The Tokyo Electric Power Co. (Tepco), which operates the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, has been facing massive compensation claims since the disaster.

In addition, the Japanese government is also planning a second fund worth 100 billion yen ($1.24 billion) to monitor and follow the health development of residents - in the Fukushima Prefecture - affected by Tepco's nuclear crisis during the next 30 years.

On March 11, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and a subsequent tsunami devastated the country. At least 23,482 people were killed and another 8,069 people went missing. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was severely damaged and radioactive elements leaked into the sea and were later found in water, air and food products in some parts of Japan.

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