Japanese LDP legislator quits over vote rigging scandal
Masatoshi Wakabayashi, a former farm minister of the opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), submitted a letter of resignation to the President of the House of Councilors on Friday,
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The ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) on Thursday submitted a motion to the Diet to discipline Wakabayashi, accusing the upper house member of pressing the voting button on behalf of fellow lawmaker Mikio Aoki who was absent when the chamber held a vote Wednesday to approve the budget for public broadcaster Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK).
DPJ sources claim to have obtained a photo of Wakabayashi during Wednesday's plenary session of the upper house, pressing the button for Aoki, himself a former head of the LDP upper house faction, who sat next to Wakabayashi in parliament.
The upper house secretariat confirmed Thursday that both Wakabayashi and Aoki cast affirmative votes for the fiscal 2010 budget for NHK during the session,
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The DPJ's motion to punish Wakabayashi states that the lawmaker 's actions flew directly in the face of democracy and were unforgivable.
Wakabayashi "rigged a vote, which is the most solemn act of parliament," the motion reads, adding that his act was a "negation of democracy and can never be forgiven."
On Wednesday, the upper house voted on 10 bills during the plenary session
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