Defense chief retracts comments implying LDP vote would be good for SDF

Defense Minister Minoru Kihara on Monday retracted comments he made over the weekend in which he appeared to imply that a vote for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in a key by-election would be good for the Self-Defense Forces and their families — despite the SDF's strict policy of political neutrality.

At a rally Sunday for the LDP candidate in the Nagasaki No. 4 district Lower House by-election set for Oct. 22, Kihara was quoted as telling supporters in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture: "Supporting the LDP candidate will repay the efforts of the Self-Defense Forces and their families.”

Kihara’s remarks, and most importantly his reference to the SDF, invited criticism, with reporters asking the government’s top spokesman on Monday if this was an attempt to use the SDF for political purposes.

But the defense chief looked to quickly put out any potential fire later Monday, telling reporters in Sasebo that he would retract the comments because they had caused a "misunderstanding."

Article 61 of the Self-Defense Forces Law explicitly forbids SDF personnel from engaging in political activity, with the exception of voting, though it is not clear if “personnel” includes the defense minister.

Earlier Monday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, the top government spokesman, declined to say if Kihara should continue on in his post. Kihara took over for his predecessor, Yasukazu Hamada, in a Cabinet reshuffle just over a month ago.

"Political activities of lawmakers are activities based on their own judgment, and I refrain from commenting on them from the standpoint of the government,” Matsuno told a regular news conference, stressing that "it is only natural that government agencies, including the Self-Defense Forces, are politically neutral and cannot support a particular candidate."

Sasebo is home to a number of SDF facilities, including a Maritime Self-Defense Force base.

Jun Azumi, parliamentary affairs committee chairman of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, told reporters at the parliament on Monday that Kihara's remarks were "a violation of political neutrality."

"He deserves to be dismissed," Azumi said.

In his speech, Kihara reportedly sought to appeal to SDF members and their families by pointing to the government’s ¥43 trillion five-year defense budget.

"Unfortunately, the opposition parties are against this. I don’t want that kind of a person to represent Sasebo," the Asahi daily quoted him as saying.

A tumult over Kihara’s remarks could threaten to overshadow campaigning for the Nagasaki by-election. It could also prove a headache for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as he grapples with record-low approval ratings for his Cabinet amid dissatisfaction over rising prices.

The stir caused by Kihara’s comments were reminiscent of similar remarks in June 2017 by then-Defense Minister Tomomi Inada, who triggered a firestorm by delivering a speech in Tokyo in which she asked voters to support a candidate "on behalf of the Defense Ministry, the SDF and the LDP and as defense minister."

The remarks were criticized for potentially violating the SDF law, but Inada quickly retracted what she said were her “misleading” comments. The incident was believed to have weakened her position, ultimately contributing to her July 2017 decision to resign over claims that she helped cover up internal records that exposed the danger SDF peacekeepers faced in South Sudan.