TOKYO, March 15 (Xinhua) — Japan’s higher home of parliament on Wednesday expelled an absentee lawmaker for not attending a single parliamentary session since being elected in July 2022.
Yoshikazu Higashitani, a content material creator on social media referred to as GaaSyy, has been dwelling abroad and did not account for his absenteeism on a number of events regardless of being given the prospect to take action.
Having already been stripped of his standing as a lawmaker, Higashitani’s expulsion from the higher chamber represents essentially the most severe punishment beneath Diet Law.
While Higashitani is the third lawmaker to be eliminated beneath Japan’s present Constitution, he’s the primary to be expelled from parliament for failing to attend periods.
All however one of many 236 higher home members voted for Higashitani’s expulsion within the plenary session held Wednesday.
The sole supporter for the absentee lawmaker who has been dwelling within the United Arab Emirates since earlier than his election, additionally belonged to Higashitani’s single-issue Seijika-joshi-48 Party.
The tiny occasion, beforehand referred to as the NHK Party, was recognized for being important of Japan’s public broadcaster.
Higashitani got here to prominence on YouTube for posting content material about alleged superstar scandals.
His posts led to the police asking him to undergo voluntary questioning in December final 12 months and associated areas being searched the next month.
He has been beneath fireplace for amassing greater than 19 million yen (141,000 U.S. {dollars}) in wage and bonuses as a lawmaker since being elected, regardless of his zero attendance charge.
Higashitani can be alleged to have duped a number of folks out of cash after promising he may prepare for them to fulfill the members of a outstanding South Korean pop group.
Hiroshige Seko, the Liberal Democratic Party’s higher home secretary-general, stated Wednesday that it was the desire of all political teams to expel Higashitani.
Main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan member Masayo Tanabu, in the meantime, stated Higashitani lacked an consciousness of representing the general public as stipulated by the Constitution and that it was a matter in fact that he was expelled.