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© KYODOAbe rebuffs opposition resignation call over contentious gov't event
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Yubaru
Excuse me? Aren't YOU the one in charge of them? If you use this as an excuse to over look your part in all of this, then the politicians who received money for the casinos through their "office" workers should just "brush off" the facts and stay in their positions as well!
Hypocrite!
Chip Star
Shin-chan is acting like it’s 1925 and he’s the new emperor.
Aly Rustom
Agree with Yubaru and Chip.
Go Edano!! You Da MAN!!!!
MarkX
The arrogance and lack of shame that both Abe and Aso feel is something to behold. Every scandal they have a weak line of defense that they keep repeating. Even if they know it is not true, they don't care what the people think as long as they stay in their positions of power.
3RENSHO
"Give the people bread and circuses..."
kurisupisu
Or a couple of part time jobs...
rgcivilian1
Come on Abe, as mentioned above posts, you are in charge and had no knowledge?
Yubaru
This is part of the problem with the parliamentary system here in Japan. Lifelong politicians like Abe and Aso, once in power, really do not have to worry a whole hell of a lot, about getting reelected.
BertieWooster
And the guest list was "accidentally" shredded!
Alfie Noakes
Standard whitewash article from Japan's Pravda. No mention of yakuza gangsters being invited? No mention of Akie Abe selecting guests? Downplaying the use of tax money to raise funds for an Abe support group?
With Akie as Empress. One wonders how many civil servants or secretaries will have to hang themselves to make this latest scandal go away.
David Varnes
Are you surprised? I'm almost surprised that those flunkies bowing aren't in full dogeza and speaking nothing but keigo to him and Daimyo Aso behind him.
Udondashi
Mr. Goldfish Abe, Great Liar !
Akie
"If you continue to stay in the current post without clarifying the allegations, our society's morals will continue to be damaged,"
So what ? Abe is selected and elected by majority LDP members, not by your stupid losers.
sumikonagoya
He went to Sakura party. A party that been held since 1954. It shows the opposition has no real issues to talk about. The opposition does not want to talk about the following:
Record low unemployment: 2.2%
The lowest number of homelessness in 50 years: 4000
Record low crime: 800,000 cases in 2019.
Japan gained 2 years in life expectancy.
Cut the child poverty rate in half.
and many more....
LET PM Abe have a party. He deserves it.
gogogo
Sorry not sorry.
kyushubill
I seem to remember when Hatoyama was PM his mentor Okada was accused of the same thing. The opposition better be careful tossing accusations because they are just as corrupt but on a smaller scale.
Hokkaidoboy
I am tranquil that he will be succeeded by a young, from a historic family man like Shinjiro Koizumi.
AlexBecu
Dear prime Minister Abe,
Refusing to resign over something so silly, so small as a cherry blossom list of guest, is not worth the time of day.
We have voted for you, longest serving Prime Minister in Japan's history. Finish the job started!
William77
The pictures says all,the servants bowing to the Daymio leader.
Call it whatever you want but not democracy.
Things won’t change to better,actually the other way around.
Edano is a probe man,I always supported the man and Reno before him.
Chapeaux to Mr.Edano which is one of the few voices trying to spot some of the grey points of this administration.
Sadly the apathetic electorate will remember the old “minushito” for it’s previous scandals but easily turn the head to the uncountable scandals from the LPD.
browny1
It's rare in a modern democracy for any leader and their senior cabal to get away with the scandals and flat-out-lies that this administration has spouted.
And until the media really starts doing it's job of informing without fear or favor, nothing much will change. The duped people will just follow along indefinitely with their cries of it can't be helped.
NHKs report on this last night was deplorable. While showing a couple of the oppositions questions and comments, most time was given to the LDP's own secretary general Nikai's pre-arranged "questions", which Abe proceded to read verbatim answers. This was presented as "tough" questions in the diet. What a farce.
The in-a-real-democracy-fallout from all these lies, deceptions, cover-ups and connivance should be any number of dismissals in the least and in the strongest show a voting public should be up in arms demanding a change of government.
But grease for it's slipperiness will win - sadly.
Pukey2
The LDP would not be in power if it were not for the voting public, time and time again. They deserve half the blame. And you get the 'leader' you deserve.
Ascissor
Which constituency did you vote in?
Wallace Fred
Welcome to the banana republic of East Asia
Cricky
I'm hoping 2020 the reaper will harvest a whole swathe of " entrenched LDP high ups" can you imagin the confusion of not being able to vote for the same people your parents grandparents did. Peoples heads will explode. They will be wandering around in a total state of dementure bumping into poles, dribbling, mumbling to themselves. Finding themselves making policies in government.
smithinjapan
Abe knows full well he can do whatever he wants and no one can do a thing about it except shrug and pull the old "Shouganai". He's not going anywhere until his goal of bringing back his grandpappy's pre-war fascist "Beautiful Japan" is on track, which his grandfather should have been executed for as a war criminal.
moonbloom
Well now with the Ghosn case out of the bag, people around the world are beginning to wake up to the true nature of the LDP.
moonbloom
The LDP would not be in power if it were not for the voting public, time and time again. They deserve half the blame. And you get the 'leader' you deserve.
Yes, but educators must also share in this.
moonbloom
Abe said Akimoto's arrest is "very regrettable" but that the administration aims to introduce casinos as part of "integrated resorts."
"Integrated resorts involve international conference and exhibition halls as well as large hotels. They are entertainment facilities that will be enjoyed by families and help Japan become a country of advanced tourism," Abe said.
This demonstrates how much Abe really cares about the youth/future of Japan- prioritizing casinos/"entertainment facilities" (everyone knows they are the domain of yakuza) over things such as providing better working conditions for secondary school teachers, raising the wages of workers so they can raise a family, etc.
JJ Jetplane
The opposition party is hilarious. Did they really think Abe would resign? Even if Abe broke the law, the one thing I do know about him in my limited knowledge of him is that he is a very driven person and pursues success. Him resigning would go against his own personality.
HBJ
He doesn’t have to resign or take responsibility for any of his numerous scandals for the simple reason...nothing will happen.
Who’s he going to be held accountable by? The government ‘runs’ the mass media. The opposition party is basically nonexistent. Many other politicians are corrupt and have their own scandals.
The only way Abe gets held to account is by an upstart in his own party who wants to be PM himself AND is able to gain the support of X number of colleagues - and forces him out. That is very unlikely to happen the way everything is controlled.
So, he can basically do what he wants.
Ascissor
JJ Jetplan
Sure, he's into hard graft.
Cricky
Urge, pledge, promise now he has added rebuff to his vocabulary. Waiting for him to accidentally become PM for life next.
Aly Rustom
Cricky- Funny you say that cause that's also exactly what I was thinking..
Simon Foston
sumikonagoyaToday 08:28 am JST
Followed by a list of supposed "achievements" of the Abe regime. Oddly reminiscent of other online Abe fans who seem to have gone quiet recently.
Simon Foston
JJ JetplaneToday 01:30 pm JST
This unfortunately is true. They can maybe keep the issue of the corruption in the news but calls for him to resign are pointless unless there's any serious dissent in the LDP. A bit like their absurd no-confidence motions which are never, ever going to pass.
Kazuaki Shimazaki
Sheesh, it's a party, people. If the worst he can do is decide who he wants as friends and throws a party for them, yup yup.
cleo
I'm sure it's not the worst he can do by far, but if he wants to entertain his friends he should use his own money, not our taxes.
And he should be open about it being a party for him and his friends (party members, supporters and Yax), instead of claiming it's for 'persons who have rendered meritorious service to society'.
And shredding the guest list to stop it getting out who was being treated to a good time on the public yen? Like Watergate, while the deed is bad enough, it's the cover-up that's the real problem.
If the opposition parties had their wits about them, Abe should have already been ousted for appropriation of public funds for private use, destruction of public records and violation of the election laws
Invalid CSRF
talaraedokko
We’ve reached the dark ages. It’s about power, not leadership. What have we seen over the last 7 years? Other than elitism what has Japan gained? Quo vadis Dear Leader?
dougthehead13
Opposition parties have to present to the public. Coherent and realistic proposals to convince voters that they can better govern the country.
To influence the failures of the system. And what modifications need to be made so that society can live better. And not criticize Abe's LDP as the only proposal to change the government. Make empty proposals. Or promises impossible to keep. They are useless.
Edano should lead the proposal to amend the law of justice. Taking advantage of the Ghons case. And he didn't. For failures like these it will be very difficult to win the next general election. Counting that in that election Abe will no longer be running. And he'll have to face the new leader of the LDP. Who we still don't know today.
Simon Foston
Kazuaki ShimazakiJan. 23 06:37 pm JST
A party for successful sportspeople and celebrities paid for by the taxpayer. If I were a top Japanese athlete at the party I would be slightly surprised and annoyed if a busload of hicks from Yamaguchi who hadn't done much with their lives except vote for Shinzo Abe showed up.
You neglected to mention the laws broken and the flimsy cover-up attempts.
TARA TAN KITAOKA
It is time, real people who contribute to real work be important. Tittles and name cards, time to be put aside.
Simon Foston
dougthehead13Today 04:17 am JST
Fair point actually. I suppose the LDP majority in the Lower House will block anything they propose but they should demonstrate that they are trying to get things done. Then during election campaigns they can attack the LDP on its record of obstructing progress for the sake of petty party politics because make no mistake, as much as the opposition should be presenting credible policies the LDP absolutely deserves to be attacked.