Tokyo (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Japanese Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa announced he will resign, following criticism of his behaviour at a weekend G7 news conference in Rome. In a film of the press conference, Nakagawa appeared confused, slurring his words and seemed to nod off at one stage as if he was drunk.
The minister has claimed he was not drunk and that his behaviour was the result of flu medicines he was taking coupled with the effect of jet lag, as well as exhaustion. Despite this he has apologised “for having caused a great deal of trouble to the prime minister and other people concerned” and confirmed that he will present his resignation after the parliament in Tokyo has passed the government’s economic plan on April 1st. Nakagawa also admitted to having sipped some wine ahead of the press conference, but that he was not drunk.
The scandal comes at a critical time for premier Aso, whose popularity has dropped to 10% while the Japanese economy slides further into a deep recession and the country heads into general elections due to be held in October.
55 year-old Nakagawa, a close collaborator of prime minister Taro Aso, appears to have decided to resign to minimise repercussions on Aso’s government, targeted by the opposition Democrat Party.