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By Wang Zhaokun Japanese Justice Minister Minoru Yanagida stepped down Monday over his remarks about how easy his job was, dealing another blow to Prime Minister Naoto Kan's cabinet, which has been reeling from a recent spate of domestic and diplomatic issues. "Given that my indiscreet remark in Hiroshima is becoming an obstacle (to ongoing budget deliberations), I conveyed my resignation to the prime minister," Japan's Kyodo News Agency quoted Yanagida as saying at a press conference at the Ministry of Justice. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku said he would concurrently perform the duties of the justice minister until a replacement could be found. Yanagida's gaffe came when he was speaking to supporters November 14 at his constituency in Hiroshima. "Being a justice minister is easy, as I only have to remember two phrases, either of which I can use in Parliament whenever I'm stuck for an answer," Yanagida said. He then noted that the two phrases are, "I refrain from making comments on a specific issue," and "We're dealing with the matter based on laws and evidence." Yanagida's words immediately sparked an outrage among the opposition Liberal Democratic Party's legislators, who claimed that his remarks were insulting to the legislature. The lawmakers initially planned to submit a censure motion against the minister Monday and even threatened to block new economic stimulus measures in the upper house, Japan's Mainichi Daily News reported. Yanagida's resignation was in contrast to his statement Sunday that he would continue to serve as the justice minister. Kan also expressed his support to Yanagida last week, saying there was no plan to remove him. "The Kan administration can't afford a delay of the passage of the extra (2010) budget bill," Liu Jiangyong, vice director of the Institute of International Studies at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times. "Any obstacle to the budget could bring more difficulty to the recovery of Japan's economy and might ultimately lead to a loss of public confidence in Kan and the Democratic Party of Japan," he added. Meanwhile, a recent Mainichi opinion poll showed that public support for Kan's Cabinet has plummeted from 49 percent last month to 26 percent - the lowest level since he took office in June. The survey also revealed that about 71 percent of respondents believed Yanagida should resign over his gaffe, while 27 percent said he shouldn't have to. Agencies contributed to this story |
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