Considering appointment of former House of Representatives member Mikio Shimoji as Cabinet Office advisor, government, Liberal Democratic Party, and local prefectural federations oppose

It was learned on the 27th that the government and Liberal Democratic Party are considering appointing former House of Representatives member Mikio Shimoji (65) as a Cabinet Office advisor. Mr. Shimoji had signed a policy agreement with the Liberal Democratic Party in September's Okinawa prefecture gubernatorial election and canceled his candidacy. The party's Okinawa Prefectural Federation strongly opposed the appointment, and on the same day informed Yasutoshi Nishimura, chairman of the party's campaign committee, of its opposition to the appointment.

Representatives from Okinawa, including Representative Tsunesaburo Nishime, who serves as chairman of the prefectural federation, met with Mr. Nishimura inside the Diet. Regarding Shimoji, he handed over a written request requesting that he not be appointed to any government position, stating that he has been ``active from a different political stance and has faced off against party-approved and recommended candidates in prefectural elections.'' Nishimura said, ``Nothing has been decided yet,'' but did not deny the appointment.

In response to an interview with reporters, Nishime said that on the 22nd, he received an explanation from Nishimura about Shimoji's appointment as advisor. ``Everyone in the prefectural federation is vehemently against it. If Mr. Shimoji were to join the government, it would seem that there were some backroom deals (during the gubernatorial election),'' he said, expressing his displeasure.