Governor Motohiko Saito’s Likely Re-Election Amid Resignation and Re-Election Controversy

On September 26, Governor Motohiko Saito of Hyogo Prefecture announced that he would not dissolve the assembly in response to the passing of a no-confidence motion and would officially lose his position on the 30th, preparing for a resignation and re-election.

If he chose to resign and was re-elected in the gubernatorial election, he would have had a term until the end of July next year. However, by resigning and being re-elected through this form of “loss of office,” he would be granted a new four-year term.

Former Osaka Governor Toru Hashimoto appeared on Kantele’s “Shunkan LIVE Toretate!” on the 25th.

Even if he is reelected, he will continue to be at odds with the assembly.

“If Saito wants to be governor, he should dissolve the assembly instead of opting for a re-election.”

He stated.

“A resignation and re-election is the most inappropriate approach. Even if he were to hold a re-election and claim to have received public support, the composition of the assembly would remain unchanged.”

He emphasized that being re-elected in a completely hostile assembly, where all county assembly members voted in favor of the no-confidence motion, would be meaningless.

In the upcoming gubernatorial election, the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party, which previously endorsed Saito, are expected to support different candidates. The Communist Party also plans to endorse an independent physician.

 

 

“If multiple candidates from various parties emerge, votes could split, giving Governor Saito a sufficient chance of re-election. After the no-confidence motion was passed, he has made numerous appearances in the media. His press conference on the 26th lasted two hours, with various variety shows covering it live,” noted a director from a local television station.

During his conference, Saito expressed his achievements and legitimacy, declaring his love for Hyogo Prefecture for an extended period. It truly resembled a media takeover.

“He even shed tears while sharing that he received letters of encouragement from high school students. It seems he’s trying to evoke sympathy from the public by showcasing his humanity. Regardless of his notoriety, people tend to vote for familiar faces. The impact of this media takeover is significant and seems to be perfectly calculated. The likelihood of his re-election is quite high,” remarked the director from the Osaka television station.

Allegations of subsidies for the victory parade

However, even if Saito is re-elected in the upcoming election, that won’t resolve everything. He will still have to endure numerous challenges, including ongoing conflicts with the assembly, the continuation of the 100-member committee, and investigations by third-party committees. The responsibility for the loss of two staff members’ lives is significant.

The issue surrounding the Hanshin and Orix championship parade, where there were suspicions of unnatural increases in subsidies to financial institutions followed by alleged kickbacks, remains unresolved. An article published by AERA.dot on the 25th detailed the amounts donated by financial institutions.

“The subsidy, initially set at 100 million yen, was raised to 400 million yen within a few days due to the intentions of the vice governor and Governor Saito. While he claims that ‘the tax money of the citizens’ is at stake in the re-election, it’s possible that it was misappropriated through this scheme. However, financial institutions likely don’t want to turn this into a scandal, so they might assert that the increase in subsidies and donations are unrelated. Proving that connection could be challenging,” said a reporter from a national newspaper.

On September 2, a man from Tokyo submitted a criminal accusation to the Osaka District Public Prosecutors Office, alleging that the actions of Governor Saito and former Vice Governor Yasutaka Katayama constituted breach of trust. Furthermore, investigations that ignored the protections for whistleblowers from the former director of the prefectural citizens’ bureau will likely continue, holding Saito accountable.

Hyogo Prefecture has been governed by general bureaucrats since 1962, for over 62 years. Attention is now focused on whether a new savior will emerge or if Governor Saito will secure re-election.