Japanese celebrity gossip YouTuber turned lawmaker expelled from parliament for continued absence
Date
3/14/2023 8:39:38 AM
(MENAFN) Celebrity gossip YouTuber turned lawmaker, Yoshikazu Higashitani, has become the first MP in Japan to be expelled from parliament without ever attending a single session. Higashitani, better known as GaaSyy on YouTube, was stripped of his status by the parliament's discipline committee on Tuesday due to his continued absence. He was elected to the upper house in July 2021, but has never come to work.
The expulsion of an MP is the most severe punishment that a lawmaker can receive in Japan and has only happened twice since 1950. This is the first time an MP has been expelled due to continued absence. The decision is set to be formalised later this week. Higashitani's absence from parliament is believed to be because he fears being arrested over fraud allegations and defamation claims from celebrities.
The lawmaker is one of two members elected from the Seijika-joshi-48 opposition party. The party, formerly known as the NHK Party, only calls for reforms to Japan's public broadcaster and regularly changes its name for publicity reasons. Japanese media reported that Higashitani is currently living in the United Arab Emirates.
Last week, parliament demanded that Higashitani fly to Tokyo to deliver an in-person apology in the chamber for his absence. Lawmakers had said this would be his last chance for redemption. However, Higashitani failed to show up at the plenary session. Instead, he announced on his YouTube channel that he was going to Turkey and that he was planning to donate his salary to the Turkish earthquake relief.
This announcement angered the Senate, whose members voted for his expulsion this week. Higashitani's sole party colleague, Hamada Satoshi, argued that it was illegal to expel him because of his absence from sessions. However, the committee voted unanimously to expel him. The expulsion of Higashitani from parliament has caused a stir in Japan and raised questions about the qualifications and obligations of lawmakers.
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