It is an extraordinary situation in which a former justice minister who is responsible for maintaining law and order was arrested. The prosecution needs to investigate the case strictly.
Katsuyuki Kawai, a House of Representatives member and a former justice minister, and his wife Anri, a House of Councillors member, were both arrested on suspicion of violating the Public Offices Election Law.
Katsuyuki is suspected of having asked more than 90 people, including members of the Hiroshima Prefectural Assembly, to collect votes in the Hiroshima prefectural constituency for the upper house election in July last year, in which Anri was elected for the first time, and providing them with a total of about 25 million yen. Anri is suspected of conspiring in regard to some of the alleged actions.
Some prefectural assembly members have admitted receiving the cash. It would be outrageous if a Diet member threw cash around to bribe influential people in the area. It is hoped that prosecutors will clarify how large-scale and extensive vote-buying could take place through the investigation.
In the upper house election, a secretary of Anri has already been convicted of paying staff members working in her campaign vehicles a large amount of money, beyond what is legally allowed. If the ruling is finalized and the guilt-by-association system is applied, her election victory will be invalidated.
Not only bribery, but also illegal payment of remuneration to campaign staff members, are acts detrimental to the fairness of elections. They cannot be overlooked.
The couple has been quiet since a weekly magazine reported the allegations of election violations last year. A Diet member who faces allegations is accountable to the public. It must be said that the couple lacks awareness as politicians.
It seems that behind the incident was the fierce competition in the election. In the Hiroshima prefectural constituency, which was contested with two seats up for grabs, the Liberal Democratic Party fielded Anri, who was backed by the party headquarters, as well as a former cabinet minister, who was aiming for his sixth consecutive term in office. The two competed for the seats with other candidates, including those recommended by opposition parties.
The party's prefectural chapter opposed fielding two candidates, and it did not support Anri. But the party headquarters in Tokyo provided her with 150 million yen. Some observers believe the party's lavish financial support for Anri was possible because Katsuyuki is close to the center of the administration.
Where did the money for the alleged bribes come from? It is important to clarify the flow of election campaign funds to the couple.
Even though the couple have now left the party, the LDP is accountable for the case to a certain extent as long as it receives taxpayer-funded government subsidies for political parties. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is also the party president, must be aware of the harsh views of the public and thoroughly convert party members to a law-abiding spirit.
Late last year, a lower house member, who was then an LDP member, was also arrested in connection with a bribery case involving possible future integrated resorts with casinos as their main feature.
It has long been pointed out that the quality of Diet members is deteriorating. Each lawmaker must remain conscious of the need to maintain discipline.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on June 19, 2020.
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