Japanese Finance Minister resigns over drunken TV appearance
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Shoichi Nakagawa quits his post after embarrassing summit speech.
The Japanese finance minister Shoichi Nakagawa resigned today after the caving into criticism about his behaviour at the Rome G7 summit.
In a television address to the assembled committee of the world’s senior officials, Mr Nakagawa slurred his words and was unable to provide coherent answers on the state of the ailing Japanese economy.
The live speech was aired on Japanese TV, causing public uproar and a demand for the Japanese prime minister Taro Aso to sack Mr Nakagawa for his incompetence.
Mr Nakagawa saved the prime minister the effort by resigning from his post earlier this morning. He said he was sorry for his conduct and the trouble caused.
“I apologise for causing a commotion through not taking enough care of my health,” he said, still profusely denying he had delivered his speech drunk.
The minister had reportedly been unwell and was suffering from a combination of jetlag, cold medicine and a “sip” of wine.
Mr Nakagawa was due to resign in a matter of weeks regardless of the weekend’s antics. As Japan has entered one of the worst economic periods since the end of the Second World War, Prime Minister Aso is swiftly becoming one of the most unpopular Japanese leaders in living memory.
If the prime minister was looking for a scapegoat then he gratefully received a valve in the form of Shoichi Nakagawa to release some of the pressure piling on him to put Japan back on the right track. Mr Aso is expected to promote Kaoru Yosano to replace the unpredictable Mr Nakagawa.
I don’t know Japanese but I think he was saying the best way to forget the crisis is drinking.