TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday apologised to the nation over the resignation of Defense Minister Tomomi Inada, saying he bore full responsibility for appointing her to the post.
Speaking to reporters, Abe said Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida would take additional charge of the defence portfolio.
Earlier, embattled Japanese Defence Minister Tomomi Inada said she was resigning, after a series of gaffes, missteps and a cover-up at her ministry that have contributed to a plunge in public support for Abe.
Inada’s nearly year-long stint was characterised by controversy, but she resigned over criticism of her ministry’s handling of log reports filed by Japanese peacekeepers in South Sudan showing worsening security.
Inada told a press conference where she announced her resignation: “I feel a keen responsibility.”
The prime minister this week dodged opposition questioning in parliament over claims of favouritism in a business deal, an accusation he has vigorously denied.
His government’s public support ratings have fallen precipitously over the summer, with voters punishing the LDP in local Tokyo elections early this month.
The party suffered a drubbing in the vote for Tokyo’s municipal assembly that media and analysts chalked up to a growing perception of “arrogance” on the part of his government.
It lost more than half its seats, with the result seen as a bellwether for national political sentiment.
The chief of staff of Japan’s Ground Self-Defence Force, the army, also resigned, as did the top ranking civil servant in the defence ministry.
The shakeup in the top echelon of Japan’s defence establishment comes as the country remains on alert over possible further North Korean missile launches.
— Reuters
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