Niigata governor to quit

Apr 19 (NHK) - Niigata Governor Ryuichi Yoneyama has announced he's stepping down over an alleged sex scandal.

His sudden departure throws into question the future of a nuclear power plant in the central Japan prefecture. Yoneyama has been cautious about the plant operator's efforts to restart the facility.

Yoneyama held a news conference on Wednesday, the day before a weekly magazine was expected to run a story about the scandal.

Yoneyama revealed that he had tendered his resignation earlier in the day to the chairperson of the prefectural assembly.

He said he decided to resign to avoid further turmoil and take responsibility for his actions. He added that he wanted to offer his sincere apology for undermining the trust of many people.

Yoneyama was elected governor in October 2016, with the recommendation of the Japanese Communist Party, the Liberal Party, and the Social Democratic Party.

He has been cautious about the restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station in the prefecture.

It is run by Tokyo Electric Power Company, the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which was crippled by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

The utility has been seeking local consent to restart the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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