Hideyo Fudesaka, 55, the Japanese Communist Party's policy chief, tendered his resignation from the House of Councilors on Tuesday after admitting to sexually harassing a woman.
The same day, JCP executives told a hastily arranged news conference that Fudesaka, who had served as the party's top policymaker since 1997, has been stripped of all party posts.
Upper House President Hiroyuki Kurata received Fudesaka's resignation notice a little before noon. Formal approval was to come with a vote by a plenary session of the chamber at a later date.