November 21 news from the Financial Associated Press (edited by Bian Chun)Japanese Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Minoru Terada resigned on Sunday over a political donations scandal, becoming the third cabinet member to resign in less than a month, dealing a fresh blow to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s already shaky approval ratings.
After the media reported that Fumio Kishida was about to dismiss Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Minoru Terada, Minoru Terada took the initiative to submit his resignation to Kishida.
Minoru Terata, who has come under fire for several political donation controversies, has admitted that a donation document submitted by a group supporting him was signed by a deceased person.
Kishida said he had accepted Terada’s resignation to calm the turmoil and would then focus on debates in Congress, including discussions on the second extra budget for the fiscal year ending in March.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at a press conference on Sunday night that he apologized for the successive resignations of cabinet ministers. He has deeply realized his responsibility in the appointment of cabinet members.
Kishida Fumio formally appointed former Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto as the new Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, Kyodo News reported on Monday.
Fumio Kishida’s predicament may intensify
A poll conducted over the weekend found that only 30.5 percent of respondents supported Fumio Kishida, down 2.6 percentage points from an October poll, TV Asahi reported on Monday. More than half (51%) of respondents disapproved of his handling of the resignations of two previous cabinet ministers, Economic Revitalization Minister Taishiro Yamaji and Justice Minister Yasuhiro Haari.
In July this year, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot and killed. This incident exposed the deep-rooted connection between politicians of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the Unification Church, which critics regard as a cult. As a result, Fumio Kishida’s support rate dropped sharply.
The suspect who killed Abe said his mother was bankrupt because of her obsession with the Unification Church and accused Abe of being close to the church. The LDP has previously acknowledged that many MPs have ties to the Unification Church, but the party has no organizational ties to the Church.
In addition, the vast majority of voters also disapproved of Fumio Kishida’s decision to hold a state funeral for Abe at the end of September.
Terada’s departure could further exacerbate Kishida’s woes. Several recent polls have shown that Kishida’s approval rating has dropped below 30%, a level that could make it difficult for him to pursue his political agenda.
Before Minoru Terada resigned as Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, Minister of Economic Regeneration Daishiro Yamaji announced his resignation on October 24 due to his relationship with the Unification Church, becoming the first minister to resign from the Kishida Cabinet.
On November 12 this year, Fumio Kishida’s cabinet suffered another blow. Minister of Justice Yasuhiro Yasuo was forced to resign for making inappropriate remarks. He called his position an “inconspicuous position that can only make news headlines when the death penalty is stamped”. This statement was criticized by the ruling and opposition parties.
It is worth noting that the successive resignations of the two ministers Yasuhiro Yeri and Minoru Terada hit Fumio Kishida particularly hard, because both of them belonged to the Kishida faction in the Liberal Democratic Party.