April 17, 2010Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama blamed the news media for "excessive coverage" of the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in comments to supporters on Friday.
"You hadn't known about Futenma, had you? Nevertheless, it's now the focus of public attention. It's attributable to the media's excessive coverage," he said during the meeting at the Diet with supporters from his home constituency in Hokkaido. He also expressed confidence that he can settle the issue by the end of May as he has pledged. "I'll make a decision on the relocation. Please don't worry. Trust me."
Asked by reporters about his remarks on Futenma, Hatoyama said, "News organizations mention relocation sites that aren't necessarily correct on a daily basis. I made the remarks to the effect that the media should be careful in covering the issue."
During the meeting, the prime minister also touched on a political funding scandal involving his political fund-raising organization. "Everything will have been settled by around next week. After that, there'll be nothing to worry about," he said, referring to a court ruling in the case of one of his former state-funded secretaries scheduled to be handed down Thursday.
Yoshimi Watanabe, leader of the opposition Your Party, criticized Hatoyama's remarks on the scandal. "What he said could be taken as political pressure," Watanabe said.
Hatoyama's remarks came as the committee for the inquest of prosecution is expected to determine whether prosecutors' decision not to indict the prime minister over the case was appropriate.
Regarding his remarks on the political funding scandal, the prime minister told reporters, "I said that because I was sorry for causing trouble to my supporters."
Click here for the original Japanese story
(Mainichi Japan) April 17, 2010
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