Asia-Pacific

Edano to temporarily double as Japanese FM

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-03-07 10:27

TOKYO - Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano will temporarily double as foreign minister after Seiji Maehara resigned Sunday over illegal political donation, Kyodo News reported Monday.  

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Maehara announced his resignation Sunday amid growing calls for him to do so for illegally receiving a donation from a South Korean supporter.

Maehara expressed his intention to step down during talks with Prime Minister Naoto Kan at the prime minister's office and rejected Kan's request to remain in office.

The 48-year-old politician has been tipped as a possible successor to Kan as the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) president, a position deemed certain to accord him if the party stays in power, and his resignation will be widely viewed as a serious blow to the ruling DPJ government.

Maehara admitted Friday at a meeting of the upper house budget committee that he received a 50,000 yen ($610) donation from a female South Korean resident of Yamashina Ward, Kyoto Prefecture, but the Political Funds Control Law prohibits politicians from accepting donations from foreigners or foreign entities.

The main opposition Liberal Democratic Party, however, claimed that he has received illegal donations totaling at least 200,000 yen ($2,440) over the past four years.