Seven opposition parties, which together control the Upper House, on May 9 dismissed Ex-Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi as chairperson of the Diet chamber's Environment Committee for extending her stay in China without approval of the Diet. This is the first time that the head of a Diet standing committee has been fired.
Clearly the opposition parties engaged in partisan politics. The Liberal Democratic Party's reaction to their move was also far from commendable. It should humbly reconsider its actions. Both camps should put aside petty partisan politics and carry out thorough discussions on the budget and other important legislative matters.
Ms. Kawaguchi, an LDP member, visited China on April 23-24 to attend an international conference after getting Diet approval. After arriving in Beijing, she was invited to meet with former Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, now a state councilor in charge of diplomacy, on April 25. Although she asked the opposition parties to approve the extension of her visit, they refused. She stayed in China and met with Mr. Yang. As a result, she failed to convene an Environment Committee session scheduled for April 25.