By TAKESHI AMANO/ Staff Writer
October 10, 2022 at 16:53 JST
AKASHI, Hyogo Prefecture--The controversial mayor here who won re-election after resigning for telling an official to set fire to a building has apologized after threatening two city assembly members who planned to seek a censure motion against him.
Mayor Fusaho Izumi stirred more controversy after threatening two city assembly members with defeat in the next election.
The threats were made as Izumi attended a ceremony on Oct. 8 commemorating the 150th anniversary of a municipal elementary school. Also in attendance were Kazuo Enomoto, the head of the assembly, and Nobuko Iida, another assembly member.
The two assembly members belong to caucuses that on Oct. 6 expressed their intention to submit a censure motion against Izumi.
According to Enomoto, before the start of the ceremony, Izumi came up to him and said, “Thinking of submitting a censure motion, are you? Are you trying to be funny? I will make sure you lose in the next election.”
Before Iida went to take her seat at the ceremony, Izumi approached her and said, “I will never forgive you if you vote in favor of the censure motion.”
Enomoto told reporters, “I hope (Izumi) will act in a manner appropriate to being a mayor.”
Iida admitted to both being surprised and frightened by what Izumi said to her.
In response to questions from reporters, Izumi said, “I don’t remember the exact wording, but I cannot deny it if that is what those who heard me said. I felt frustration about why the motion was to be submitted when I only wanted to work together with the assembly. But I apologize for what I said because it was excessive and inappropriate.”
Four caucuses are planning to submit the motion on Oct. 12 on the grounds that Izumi has not changed despite being told about his repeated inappropriate words and deeds.
Izumi resigned as mayor in 2019 after he told a city government official to set fire to buildings that were standing in the way of acquiring land to construct a national road. But voters returned him to office in the subsequent election.
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Akashi Mayor Fusaho Izumi (Takeshi Amano)
