THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
February 1, 2024 at 18:12 JST
Mito Kakizawa, a lawmaker indicted on charges of vote-buying and conducting illegal campaign activities in a mayoral election in Tokyo, submitted his resignation to the Lower House speaker on Feb. 1.
A by-election to fill Kakizawa’s vacated seat is scheduled for April 28. Campaigning will start on April 16.
The election will be held on the same day as the Lower House by-elections for the Shimane No. 1 district and the Nagasaki No. 3 district.
The Shimane election was called to replace former Lower House Speaker Hiroyuki Hosoda, who died in November last year.
Yaichi Tanigawa, representing the Nagasaki constituency, resigned from the Lower House over the political funding scandal embroiling ruling Liberal Democratic Party factions.
Kakizawa came under scrutiny following revelations that he had recommended the use of paid online advertisements in a candidate’s campaign for mayor of Tokyo’s Koto Ward in April 2023.
The use of such ads for campaigning is prohibited under the Public Offices Election Law.
Kakizawa stepped down as state minister of justice in October.
After investigators from the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office searched his offices and home, Kakizawa left the LDP.
He was arrested on suspicion of violating the Public Offices Election Law on Dec. 28 and was indicted on Jan. 17.
Kakizawa was elected five times from Tokyo’s No. 15 district. He won his first Lower House seat in the 2009 election as a member of the now-defunct Your Party.
He had been in the opposition camp until he was endorsed by the LDP following his victory in the 2021 Lower House election.
Lawmaker, aides arrested over suspected bribes in mayor election
December 28, 2023
LDP lawmaker’s office searched in election bribery investigation
November 17, 2023
Kakizawa’s aides suspected of illegally paying campaign staff
November 24, 2023
State minister of justice resigns for role in illegal election video
October 31, 2023
Okubo wins Koto Ward mayoral race with LDP, Koike backing
December 11, 2023
Prosecutors search Diet office, home of Tokyo lawmaker
December 14, 2023
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Mito Kakizawa (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
