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TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga apologized on Wednesday (January 27) after lawmakers from his ruling coalition visited nightclubs despite his government’s call on people to avoid unnecessary outings to curb the spread of the COVID-19.
The news is another headache for Suga, whose approval rating has plummeted due to dissatisfaction with his handling of the pandemic, which critics have called too slow and inconsistent.
“I am very sorry that this happened when we asked people not to eat out after 8pm and to avoid non-essential and non-urgent departures,” Suga told parliament.
“Every legislator must behave to gain the understanding of the public.”
Japan this month issued a state of emergency in Tokyo and other areas to control a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases. The measure includes a request for restaurants and bars to close before 8:00 p.m., although there are currently no penalties for non-compliance.
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“My behavior was careless at a time when we asked people to be patient,” Jun Matsumoto, a senior lawmaker from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, told reporters.
Matsumoto spoke after Daily Shincho magazine reported that he had visited two nightclubs in Tokyo’s posh Ginza district after dining at an Italian restaurant last Monday.
Kiyohiko Toyama, a lawmaker for the coalition’s junior partner Komeito, also apologized after the Shukan Bunshun tabloid reported that he had visited a high-end nightclub in Ginza until last Friday.
Twitter users expressed frustration.
“It’s only a matter of time before public anger erupts. I don’t want a 100,000 yen (US $ 965) balloon payment, I want them to quit!” Wrote one user.
“They’re really stupid. Don’t they think about what they’re doing and how the public sees them? If they don’t, they’re not qualified to represent the public,” said another.
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