Japan lower chamber chief denies dubious ties with Unification Church
Japan's Lower House chief on Tuesday denied accusations of inappropriate ties with the Unification Church, but refused to publicly discuss the issues surrounding the religious group that have dampened the popularity of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet.
On the second day of the ordinary parliamentary session that began Monday, House of Representatives Speaker Hiroyuki Hosoda held talks with ruling and opposition lawmakers to answer questions on his connections with the Unification Church.
Hosoda, 78, who formerly headed the largest intraparty faction within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, was quoted by the lawmakers as saying that he had not received any political requests from the religious organization and that he does not feel "guilty."
But opposition parties have expressed eagerness to continue attacking Hosoda over his responsibility for his links with the Unification Church in the run-up to a string of local elections in the spring.
Kenta Izumi, the head of the leading opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, harshly criticized Hosoda. "His explanations remain unclear," Izumi said at a party gathering on Tuesday, adding, "Why doesn't he explain in public?"
Should the opposition camp keep adopting a hard-line approach toward Hosoda, Kishida's government is likely to encounter difficulties in promoting his key policies, negatively affecting the LDP at the local elections in April, political experts said.
Tuesday's meeting took place at the speaker's official residence, as the opposition bloc urged Hosoda to further explain his ties with the group. He said he has not worked together with the Unification Church in past elections, according to lawmakers. Read More…
