TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said his son is resigning as his executive policy secretary to take responsibility for using the prime minister’s residence for a private party at which the merrymaking was exposed in magazine photos that triggered public outrage.
Shotaro Kishida (pic), his father’s executive secretary for political affairs and eldest son, invited a group of people including relatives to a year-end party on Dec 30 at the Prime Minister’s Official Residence.
Photos published by the weekly Shukan Bunshun magazine showing Kishida’s son and his relatives posing on red-carpeted stairs in an imitation of the group photos taken of newly appointed Cabinets, with his son at the centre – the position reserved for the prime minister. Other photos showed guests standing at a podium as if holding a news conference.
“As secretary for (the prime minister’s) political affairs, a public position, his actions were inappropriate and I decided to replace him to have him take responsibility,” Kishida told reporters Monday night. He said his son will be replaced with another secretary, Takayoshi Yamamoto, tomorrow.
Kishida acknowledged that he had briefly greeted the guests but said he didn’t stay at the dinner party.
He said he severely reprimanded his son for the party, but that failed to quell ongoing criticism from opposition lawmakers and public outrage which have pushed down his support ratings. — AP
