A key Upper House committee decided on Tuesday to expel YouTuber-turned-lawmaker GaaSyy from parliament for absenteeism since he was elected in July and failing to apologize in person for that, paving the way for an end to his nearly eight-month political career.
The decision, made unanimously by ruling and opposition lawmakers, will almost certainly be finalized during an Upper House plenary session on Wednesday, putting an end to months of uproar surrounding the controversial politician, whose real name is Yoshikazu Higashitani.
“The committee has reached this conclusion after discussing the matter in consideration of the significance of the democratic electoral process,” said Muneo Suzuki, head of the chamber’s disciplinary committee. “GaaSyy doesn’t understand the foundations of democracy, which is based on laws and rules.”