2ND LD: Diet calls on scandal-hit lawmaker Nishimura to quit

Japan Policy & Politics, March 20, 2006

TOKYO, March 17 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH NISHIMURA'S REACTION IN 6TH GRAF)

The House of Representatives on Friday adopted a nonbinding resolution urging Shingo Nishimura, an independent, to resign as lawmaker due to allegations that he violated the Lawyers Law.

The motion was backed by a majority of lower house members, including those of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the opposition Democratic Party of Japan, which kicked out Nishimura in November when the scandal broke out.

The resolution says Nishimura, 57, should quit as he has ''significantly harmed the honor and dignity of the House of Representatives'' and helped to deepen people's distrust in politics.

The LDP and its junior coalition partner the New Komeito party presented the resolution, lawmakers said.

The Diet has adopted such a resolution three times in the past, but in none of the cases did the lawmaker resign.

Nishimura said after the lower house vote that he will not resign. ''I cannot give up my seat so easily,'' he said.

Nishimura was ousted from the DPJ in November after it was revealed that he had illegally lent his name as a lawyer to a former employee at his law firm, let the aide handle cases on his behalf, and in return received 8.3 million yen from 1998 to 2004.

Nishimura mostly pleaded guilty to the allegations in a recent hearing at the Osaka District Court but asserted that he had received the money as proper fees.

The outspoken politician who hails from Osaka Prefecture sparked controversy in 1997 when he visited the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, whose ownership is disputed by Japan, China and Taiwan.

Nishimura was also sacked as parliamentary vice defense minister in 1999 after he told an interview with a weekly that Japan should consider going nuclear for the purpose of self-defense.