ID :
160261
Fri, 02/11/2011 - 09:34
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/160261
The shortlink copeid
Ozawa spurns Kan`s call to leave DPJ, penalty process to start Mon.
TOKYO, Feb. 10 Kyodo -
Former Democratic Party of Japan leader Ichiro Ozawa spurned Prime Minister
Naoto Kan's call on Thursday to voluntarily leave the ruling party following
his indictment over a funds scandal, leading the party brass to start work next
week on punishing the political veteran.
DPJ executives plan to convene a meeting Monday to begin the process of
finalizing punitive action against Ozawa by early March, including possibly
suspending his party membership, DPJ lawmakers said.
Ozawa said at a press conference after a roughly hourlong one-to-one meeting
with Kan, current head of the DPJ, ''I was asked if I could leave the party
until the trial is over.''
Ozawa immediately responded that he has no intention of doing so, Kan said later.
Ozawa, a member of the House of Representatives, also refused to heed another
call by the premier to testify in parliament regarding the scandal.
''While this issue is being tackled by the judicial branch, how is it that this
will also be handled at the same time by the legislative branch?'' Ozawa said.
The truth will be made clear during his trial, Ozawa reiterated.
Kan voiced hope that the DPJ's leadership will ''not take too long'' before
deciding on Ozawa's fate.
The government and ruling party are keen to put closure on the Ozawa issue so
they can focus on securing the cooperation of opposition parties in passing the
fiscal 2011 budget. The opposition bloc has used the money-tainted image of
politics sparked by the Ozawa scandal to attack the Kan administration.
The outlook remains uncertain, however, as pro-Ozawa members of the DPJ, who
form part of the party's executive board, are likely to continue blocking any
moves to punish him.
Ozawa criticized the DPJ leadership for seeking to impose a punishment, even if
punitive action is favored by many DPJ members.
Known as a power broker in Japanese politics and credited for the DPJ's rise to
power in 2009, Ozawa said that even if he is punished, he is determined to
continue engaging in political activities in the same manner as currently.
The DPJ can take three kinds of punitive action against members under its code
of ethics, with suspension of membership the lightest punishment. A suspended
DPJ politician is not allowed to attend formal party functions and could fail
to get on the party's ticket in elections.
Ozawa, who has denied any wrongdoing, was indicted Jan. 31 by court-appointed
lawyers acting on an inquest panel's decision last September to overturn an
earlier decision by prosecutors not to charge the politician due to a lack of
evidence.
Ozawa was indicted on charges of conspiring with three of his former aides not
to record 400 million yen lent to his Rikuzankai political fund management body
in its report for 2004 and listing roughly 340 million yen used to purchase
land in a 2005 funds report, when it should have been included in the report
for 2004.
The DPJ has until now failed to come up with a definitive position on the
matter due to strong opposition from Ozawa's allies in the DPJ.
The last time Kan held talks with Ozawa concerning the scandal was Dec. 20.
That meeting fell apart, with Kan unable to convince Ozawa to testify before a
parliamentary ethics panel.
During their talks Thursday, Kan once again urged Ozawa to testify before the
ethics panel, but Ozawa reiterated that he will do so after the budget clears
the Diet, according to DPJ Secretary General Katsuya Okada.
With Ozawa rejecting an appearance before the panel, opposition parties stepped
up their demands that he testify under oath in parliament, meaning he would be
liable to a charge of perjury if he makes a false statement.
''Now that things have reached this point, the DPJ should decide to have Mr.
Ozawa give sworn testimony,'' main opposition Liberal Democratic Party leader
Sadakazu Tanigaki told reporters.
Natsuo Yamaguchi, leader of the second-largest opposition New Komeito party,
said that whether Ozawa leaves the DPJ is an ''internal matter,'' adding it is
regrettable that Kan had failed to make substantial efforts toward having Ozawa
give sworn testimony.
==Kyodo
Former Democratic Party of Japan leader Ichiro Ozawa spurned Prime Minister
Naoto Kan's call on Thursday to voluntarily leave the ruling party following
his indictment over a funds scandal, leading the party brass to start work next
week on punishing the political veteran.
DPJ executives plan to convene a meeting Monday to begin the process of
finalizing punitive action against Ozawa by early March, including possibly
suspending his party membership, DPJ lawmakers said.
Ozawa said at a press conference after a roughly hourlong one-to-one meeting
with Kan, current head of the DPJ, ''I was asked if I could leave the party
until the trial is over.''
Ozawa immediately responded that he has no intention of doing so, Kan said later.
Ozawa, a member of the House of Representatives, also refused to heed another
call by the premier to testify in parliament regarding the scandal.
''While this issue is being tackled by the judicial branch, how is it that this
will also be handled at the same time by the legislative branch?'' Ozawa said.
The truth will be made clear during his trial, Ozawa reiterated.
Kan voiced hope that the DPJ's leadership will ''not take too long'' before
deciding on Ozawa's fate.
The government and ruling party are keen to put closure on the Ozawa issue so
they can focus on securing the cooperation of opposition parties in passing the
fiscal 2011 budget. The opposition bloc has used the money-tainted image of
politics sparked by the Ozawa scandal to attack the Kan administration.
The outlook remains uncertain, however, as pro-Ozawa members of the DPJ, who
form part of the party's executive board, are likely to continue blocking any
moves to punish him.
Ozawa criticized the DPJ leadership for seeking to impose a punishment, even if
punitive action is favored by many DPJ members.
Known as a power broker in Japanese politics and credited for the DPJ's rise to
power in 2009, Ozawa said that even if he is punished, he is determined to
continue engaging in political activities in the same manner as currently.
The DPJ can take three kinds of punitive action against members under its code
of ethics, with suspension of membership the lightest punishment. A suspended
DPJ politician is not allowed to attend formal party functions and could fail
to get on the party's ticket in elections.
Ozawa, who has denied any wrongdoing, was indicted Jan. 31 by court-appointed
lawyers acting on an inquest panel's decision last September to overturn an
earlier decision by prosecutors not to charge the politician due to a lack of
evidence.
Ozawa was indicted on charges of conspiring with three of his former aides not
to record 400 million yen lent to his Rikuzankai political fund management body
in its report for 2004 and listing roughly 340 million yen used to purchase
land in a 2005 funds report, when it should have been included in the report
for 2004.
The DPJ has until now failed to come up with a definitive position on the
matter due to strong opposition from Ozawa's allies in the DPJ.
The last time Kan held talks with Ozawa concerning the scandal was Dec. 20.
That meeting fell apart, with Kan unable to convince Ozawa to testify before a
parliamentary ethics panel.
During their talks Thursday, Kan once again urged Ozawa to testify before the
ethics panel, but Ozawa reiterated that he will do so after the budget clears
the Diet, according to DPJ Secretary General Katsuya Okada.
With Ozawa rejecting an appearance before the panel, opposition parties stepped
up their demands that he testify under oath in parliament, meaning he would be
liable to a charge of perjury if he makes a false statement.
''Now that things have reached this point, the DPJ should decide to have Mr.
Ozawa give sworn testimony,'' main opposition Liberal Democratic Party leader
Sadakazu Tanigaki told reporters.
Natsuo Yamaguchi, leader of the second-largest opposition New Komeito party,
said that whether Ozawa leaves the DPJ is an ''internal matter,'' adding it is
regrettable that Kan had failed to make substantial efforts toward having Ozawa
give sworn testimony.
==Kyodo
