2023-10-26 12:13:22
Yayoi Kimura (58), the mayor of Tokyo’s Koto Ward, whose office was raided by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office on suspicion of violating the Public Elections Act, held a press conference at the ward office on the 26th and announced her intention to resign. He said, “We must not allow the district administration to become chaotic and stagnant.I am filled with regrets.” The campaign took responsibility for an issue in which the campaign posted paid advertisements on the video site YouTube calling for votes in April’s mayoral election.
◆First elected in April, announced resignation six months later
Mr. Kimura submitted his resignation to Chairperson Kayoko Yamamoto through the vice mayor. He will resign effective November 15th. He was in office for just six months after being first elected in April. From the 27th onwards, the deputy ward mayor will act in his place.
At the press conference, Kimura said, “We are still being interviewed,” and when asked about the incident, he repeated, “I am cooperating with the investigation, so I cannot talk about it.”
The paid YouTube advertisement in question featured Mr. Kimura himself with the subtitle, “Please vote for Yayoi Kimura,” and was posted for five days from the announcement date to the day before the vote, and was viewed approximately 380,000 times. . Mr. Kimura paid the approximately 140,000 yen cost with a credit card. The Public Elections Act prohibits election campaigns using paid online.
Koto Ward Mayor Yayoi Kimura bows at a press conference at the ward disaster prevention center on the afternoon of October 26th.
At a press conference in August, Mr. Kimura’s side explained that the advertisement was placed solely by his supporters. When the issue of paid was brought up to the ward councilors at the regular assembly meeting that began in September, Mr. Kimura countered, saying, “We are not in a situation where there is any doubt about the fairness or fairness of the election.” However, at this press conference, Mr. When asked again about his understanding, he avoided answering by saying, “I’m not going to talk about it at this stage.”
On the 24th, the Special Investigation Department searched the mayor’s office at the ward office and his home, and voluntarily interviewed Mr. Kimura.
According to the district, the chairperson will notify the district election board within five days. The ward election office shall conduct the ward mayor election within 50 days after receiving the notification. Kimura denied the possibility of running in the next ward mayoral election or national election.
Mr. Kimura is a former Liberal Democratic Party member of the House of Representatives. He was first elected in the proportional representation North Kanto bloc in the 2014 House of Representatives election, and re-elected in the Kinki proportional representation bloc in the 2017 House of Representatives election. He also served as Parliamentary Secretary for General Affairs. He lost the 2021 House of Representatives election. His election as ward mayor was a fierce battle between conservatives, but he was elected for the first time, defeating former metropolitan council members endorsed by the Liberal Democratic Party. (Masanori Inoue)
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