ID :
155165
Wed, 12/29/2010 - 05:59
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/155165
The shortlink copeid
Ozawa to testify before Diet ethics panel over funds scandal+
TOKYO, Dec. 28 Kyodo -
Former Democratic Party of Japan leader Ichiro Ozawa said Tuesday he will
appear before a parliamentary ethics panel over a funds scandal, noting that
his sudden change of position was ''a political decision'' to help avoid
discord within the ruling party and legislative deadlock next year.
Ozawa's decision came a day after Prime Minister Naoto Kan, the current DPJ
leader, hinted at the possibility of asking him to leave the party should he
continue to rebuff repeated requests from it to testify over the scandal before
the House of Representatives' political ethics panel.
''To pursue politics focusing on the betterment of people's lives with party
unity, I have come to believe that in this case making a decision (to appear
before the panel) of my own volition could contribute a little toward that
goal,'' Ozawa said at a hastily arranged news conference.
Ozawa, a longtime political power broker, had previously rejected calls to
explain in parliament the scandal involving his political funds management
body, saying he had done nothing wrong and would prove his innocence in court.
Kan told reporters in the evening that Ozawa's decision was ''great progress.''
But it remains uncertain whether Ozawa's decision will help the government,
faced with falling approval ratings, to work closer with opposition parties,
which have controlled the House of Councillors since July.
Ozawa said he still believes that his appearance before the panel is not
necessary, but he has decided to do so for the sake of DPJ unity and paving the
way for smooth deliberations on the fiscal 2011 budget and related bills during
the regular Diet session due to begin in January.
Ozawa said he is ready to appear before the panel prior to the 150-day session
on condition that his attendance leads to the start of Diet deliberations.
If his testimony is not required for opposition parties to agree with the DPJ
on when to convene the ordinary Diet session, Ozawa said he would like to
appear before the panel after the passage of the budget for the year starting
April.
Following Ozawa's announcement, Kan discussed the running of the government and
the party with DPJ Secretary General Katsuya Okada and DPJ Diet affairs chief
Yoshio Hachiro at his office.
The three told reporters separately that the DPJ's position is that Ozawa
should testify before the regular Diet session.
Opposition parties have criticized the DPJ for being soft on Ozawa over the
scandal in which he will be indicted possibly in January.
The Liberal Democratic Party and other opposition parties are demanding that
Ozawa give sworn testimony under stricter rules, meaning he would be liable to
a charge of perjury if he makes a false statement.
Many opposition parties have also said that they will boycott Diet
deliberations unless Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku leaves the
Cabinet.
It also remains unclear whether his decision will ease the recent strife within
the DPJ between pro- and anti-Ozawa lawmakers.
Prior to Kan's indication Monday that Ozawa could be expelled from the DPJ,
party executives decided that the ethics panel should hold a vote on summoning
Ozawa before the regular Diet session if he did not change his stance.
Ozawa said he could not comment on what he might do after being indicted, when
asked about the possibility of his leaving the DPJ.
Ozawa, who lost to Kan in the DPJ's presidential election in September, is
credited with the party's ascent to power in 2009.
Ozawa met with Yukio Hatoyama, who was prime minister and DPJ chief before Kan
took the helm in June, before attending the news conference.
Hatoyama, who has been critical of Kan, told reporters after the meeting with
Ozawa that the DPJ leadership now needs to try harder to help run the
government properly.
Hatoyama said he agreed with Ozawa that Sengoku's departure from the government
is more important than Ozawa's testimony in laying the groundwork for smooth
Diet deliberations.
A censure motion against Sengoku, Kan's right-hand man who is widely known as
an anti-Ozawa lawmaker, was adopted by the upper house in November.
Many opposition parties have accused Sengoku of mishandling Japan-China
affairs, and while the censure motion was nonbinding, they argue that his
resignation from the post is a requisite condition for convening the ordinary
Diet session.
Azuma Koshiishi, one of Ozawa's closest allies who heads the party's upper
house caucus, told reporters that Ozawa's decision, taken in light of the
importance of Diet deliberations on the budget, ''should be welcomed.''
A judicial panel, formed by randomly picked citizens, said in October that he
should face prosecution over the scandal in which three of his former aides
have already been charged with violating the political funds control law.
The judicial panel was tasked with reviewing earlier decisions by prosecutors
not to indict him.
Under the revised inquest of prosecution law that came into force in May 2009
as part of Japan's judicial reform program, indictments are mandatory if an
inquest panel decides twice that a suspect should be indicted.
==Kyodo
Former Democratic Party of Japan leader Ichiro Ozawa said Tuesday he will
appear before a parliamentary ethics panel over a funds scandal, noting that
his sudden change of position was ''a political decision'' to help avoid
discord within the ruling party and legislative deadlock next year.
Ozawa's decision came a day after Prime Minister Naoto Kan, the current DPJ
leader, hinted at the possibility of asking him to leave the party should he
continue to rebuff repeated requests from it to testify over the scandal before
the House of Representatives' political ethics panel.
''To pursue politics focusing on the betterment of people's lives with party
unity, I have come to believe that in this case making a decision (to appear
before the panel) of my own volition could contribute a little toward that
goal,'' Ozawa said at a hastily arranged news conference.
Ozawa, a longtime political power broker, had previously rejected calls to
explain in parliament the scandal involving his political funds management
body, saying he had done nothing wrong and would prove his innocence in court.
Kan told reporters in the evening that Ozawa's decision was ''great progress.''
But it remains uncertain whether Ozawa's decision will help the government,
faced with falling approval ratings, to work closer with opposition parties,
which have controlled the House of Councillors since July.
Ozawa said he still believes that his appearance before the panel is not
necessary, but he has decided to do so for the sake of DPJ unity and paving the
way for smooth deliberations on the fiscal 2011 budget and related bills during
the regular Diet session due to begin in January.
Ozawa said he is ready to appear before the panel prior to the 150-day session
on condition that his attendance leads to the start of Diet deliberations.
If his testimony is not required for opposition parties to agree with the DPJ
on when to convene the ordinary Diet session, Ozawa said he would like to
appear before the panel after the passage of the budget for the year starting
April.
Following Ozawa's announcement, Kan discussed the running of the government and
the party with DPJ Secretary General Katsuya Okada and DPJ Diet affairs chief
Yoshio Hachiro at his office.
The three told reporters separately that the DPJ's position is that Ozawa
should testify before the regular Diet session.
Opposition parties have criticized the DPJ for being soft on Ozawa over the
scandal in which he will be indicted possibly in January.
The Liberal Democratic Party and other opposition parties are demanding that
Ozawa give sworn testimony under stricter rules, meaning he would be liable to
a charge of perjury if he makes a false statement.
Many opposition parties have also said that they will boycott Diet
deliberations unless Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku leaves the
Cabinet.
It also remains unclear whether his decision will ease the recent strife within
the DPJ between pro- and anti-Ozawa lawmakers.
Prior to Kan's indication Monday that Ozawa could be expelled from the DPJ,
party executives decided that the ethics panel should hold a vote on summoning
Ozawa before the regular Diet session if he did not change his stance.
Ozawa said he could not comment on what he might do after being indicted, when
asked about the possibility of his leaving the DPJ.
Ozawa, who lost to Kan in the DPJ's presidential election in September, is
credited with the party's ascent to power in 2009.
Ozawa met with Yukio Hatoyama, who was prime minister and DPJ chief before Kan
took the helm in June, before attending the news conference.
Hatoyama, who has been critical of Kan, told reporters after the meeting with
Ozawa that the DPJ leadership now needs to try harder to help run the
government properly.
Hatoyama said he agreed with Ozawa that Sengoku's departure from the government
is more important than Ozawa's testimony in laying the groundwork for smooth
Diet deliberations.
A censure motion against Sengoku, Kan's right-hand man who is widely known as
an anti-Ozawa lawmaker, was adopted by the upper house in November.
Many opposition parties have accused Sengoku of mishandling Japan-China
affairs, and while the censure motion was nonbinding, they argue that his
resignation from the post is a requisite condition for convening the ordinary
Diet session.
Azuma Koshiishi, one of Ozawa's closest allies who heads the party's upper
house caucus, told reporters that Ozawa's decision, taken in light of the
importance of Diet deliberations on the budget, ''should be welcomed.''
A judicial panel, formed by randomly picked citizens, said in October that he
should face prosecution over the scandal in which three of his former aides
have already been charged with violating the political funds control law.
The judicial panel was tasked with reviewing earlier decisions by prosecutors
not to indict him.
Under the revised inquest of prosecution law that came into force in May 2009
as part of Japan's judicial reform program, indictments are mandatory if an
inquest panel decides twice that a suspect should be indicted.
==Kyodo
