LDP Lawmaker Apologizes for Jeering at Cancer Sufferer

June 22, 2018

Tokyo- A lawmaker from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has apologized for jeering at a cancer sufferer during a parliamentary hearing on the dangers of secondhand smoke.

In a statement issued Thursday, House of Representatives lawmaker Yoichi Anami said, "I accept responsibility and offer a heartfelt apology."

Shuichi Takatori, chairman of the Lower House Committee on Health, Labor and Welfare, reprimanded Anami the same day. Takatori told reporters that the committee plans to apologize in writing to the cancer sufferer, who was summoned to the panel last week as a witness.

At a committee hearing on June 15 on a law amendment proposal to strengthen measures against passive smoking, Anami shouted, "Enough already," when Kazuo Hasegawa, leader of the Japan Lung Cancer Alliance, was testifying as a witness following a recommendation by the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.

In his statement, Anami said he had no intention of impeding the testimony of the witness. "I just expressed my feelings that smokers should not be discriminated against more than is necessary."

First elected to the Lower House in 2012 when LDP President Shinzo Abe led the party to victory and became prime minister, Anami, 48, is currently in his third term. A number of lawmakers from the class of 2012 have been involved in scandals or made gaffes.

Hasegawa said the lawmaker's heckling was regrettable. He said he hopes to see more discussions on the issue of secondhand smoke.

On Friday, Yoshihisa Inoue, secretary-general of Komeito, the junior coalition partner of the LDP, criticized Anami's behavior in parliament and urged the LDP to admonish him and take action. Jiji Press