Defense Minister Tomomi Inada suggested Tuesday that the Self-Defense Forces support a Liberal Democratic Party candidate running in Sunday’s Tokyo Metropo<\/b>
\nDefense Minister Tomomi Inada suggested Tuesday that the Self-Defense Forces support a Liberal Democratic Party candidate running in Sunday\u2019s Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election, sparking criticism from opposition lawmakers that her remarks amounted to political use of the nation\u2019s defense apparatus.
In a stump speech at a campaign rally in Tokyo\u2019s Itabashi Ward, Inada asked voters to cast ballots for her party\u2019s candidate, saying the request came from \u201cthe Defense Ministry, the SDF, the defense minister and the LDP.\u201d Hours later, she told reporters she will \u201cwithdraw\u201d the remarks on the grounds they can be \u201cmisunderstood.\u201d
Inada\u2019s original remarks appeared to deviate from the principle of neutrality expected of an administrative branch. A law governing the SDF imposes restrictions on the political activities of their personnel.
An SDF officer said Inada has given the impression she \u201cunilaterally used\u201d the SDF even though SDF personnel are not allowed to make political statements. \u201cI\u2019 m afraid people may misunderstand that all SDF personnel support the LDP, \u201d the officer said.
The remarks by Inada, a lawyer-turned-lawmaker, could deal a fresh blow to the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the LDP, with both under pressure due to the ruling coalition\u2019s handling of controversial \u201cconspiracy\u201d legislation and allegations that Abe used his influence to enable the opening of a university department by an educational group run by a close friend.
Toshio Ogawa, a House of Councilors member from the main opposition force, the Democratic Party, criticized Inada, telling Kyodo News that Inada has been using the defense administrative branch \u201ccompletely as her own, \u201d even though it is supposed to serve the public.
Questions over her remarks also mounted within the LDP. One member who used to be a Cabinet minister urged Inada to \u201cimmediately\u201d apologize for her remarks, given that the LDP is waging a close electoral race with a party led by popular Gov. Yuriko Koike for control of the metropolitan assembly.
Shortly after making the remarks, Inada told reporters, \u201cI used such language as part of my efforts to convey my appreciation to people in the community, but I\u2019 m rooting (for the candidate) strictly as (a member of) the LDP.\u201d
Tomoaki Iwai, a political science professor at Nihon University, noted that the Defense Ministry and the SDF are supposed to be independent of a particular political party or force. \u201cEven though she\u2019s a Cabinet minister, she\u2019s supposed to root (for a candidate) in an election as an LDP member, \u201d he said, adding she \u201cwent too far\u201d this time.
The latest controversy follows criticism of the top uniformed SDF officer after he made comments that could be taken as political. Adm. Katsutoshi Kawano, chief of the SDF\u2019s Joint Staff, said last month he would be \u201cvery thankful\u201d if the existence of the SDF is stipulated in the Constitution as recently proposed by the prime minister.<\/p>\n