Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Masatada Tsuchiya has criticized Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue for referring to the nation's security policy during his speech at the annual ceremony of the U.S. atomic bombing of the city.
"If he wants to speak about a political choice about maintaining peace, he should resign as Nagasaki mayor and run in a national election," Tsuchiya, a Lower House member from Tokyo, wrote in his blog Saturday.
In his speech earlier Saturday, Taue called on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government to heed public concerns over its security policy, saying the rushed debate over collective self-defense has given rise to concern that the principle of renouncing war in the Constitution is wavering.
Tsuchiya wrote that Cabinet approval of expanding the Self-Defense Forces' capabilities by reinterpreting the pacifist Constitution is "one of choices by practical politics."
"The Nagasaki mayor has authority because he speaks about the elimination of nuclear weapons based on historical experience," Tsuchiya said. "This authority will weaken if he mentions specific political issues such as collective self-defense."
Taue said Monday: "It is important that the present feelings of Nagasaki were conveyed and (the message) needed to be delivered as the Peace Declaration."