Tokyo –
Agriculture minister Taku Eto has submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba over his recent gaffe regarding rice — comments that stoked public anger over the soaring price of the food staple.
Eto, 64, will become the first Cabinet minister to quit since Ishiba took office last October.
During a speech in Saga on Sunday, Eto said that he never bought rice as he receives so much of the staple from his supporters that he could sell it. This drew criticism from both ruling and opposition lawmakers — as well as the general public.
On Monday, Ishiba reprimanded Eto over the remarks, while expressing his intention to keep the agriculture minister in his post.
On Tuesday, however, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and four other opposition parties agreed to demand the dismissal or resignation of Eto and consider submitting a no-confidence motion against him.
Ishiba changed his mind, given that a no-confidence motion, if introduced, could pass as he leads a minority government, people familiar with the matter said.
He also apparently wants to limit the impact of Eto’s remarks about rice — which has been of great interest to the public — before an an Upper House election this summer.
Eto, who was elected eight times to the Lower House, became agriculture minister last November.
Among other ministers in the Ishiba Cabinet, Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki was reprimanded earlier this year by the prime minister for distributing mooncakes to ministry staff.
Ishiba himself has been criticized for distributing gift certificates worth ¥100,000 per person during a meeting with new lawmakers of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party at the prime minister’s official residence.
AloJapan.com