GUNMA, Oct 02 (News On Japan) - Maebashi Mayor Akira Ogawa held a closed-door meeting with all city council members on October 2nd to explain her repeated hotel meetings with a married senior city official, but afterward she avoided stating whether she would resign.
The controversy stems from Ogawa’s admission at a special press conference on September 24th that she had met more than 10 times at a hotel since February with a senior city employee who is married, while denying that the two were in a romantic relationship. Her explanation to council members on September 26th was criticized for not allowing questions, and since then, town hall meetings with citizens have been canceled and complaint calls have flooded city offices, throwing municipal administration into disarray.
The October 2nd meeting with council members, which lasted about two hours behind closed doors, was arranged to respond to questions and concerns submitted in advance by each political group. After the meeting, Ogawa told reporters, "I received very stern opinions from each faction, and I want to take them seriously. As for how I take responsibility, I will continue to listen to citizens while also consulting with my supporters and legal counsel before making a decision."
Addressing reports that the male official involved had been reassigned, Ogawa clarified that the personnel change was requested by the employee himself on September 22nd under the city’s voluntary demotion system, stressing it was not a disciplinary action.
City council chairman Tomitaka Tomita urged Ogawa to quickly make her intentions clear, saying, "I want her to indicate her course of action as soon as possible, even a single day earlier would be preferable." The council is scheduled to hold a meeting of party representatives on October 3rd to discuss how to proceed. Gunma Governor Ichita Yamamoto, who had previously criticized the mayor by saying the "responsibility is heavy," reiterated his concern when speaking to reporters in Maebashi on the evening of October 2nd.
Source: 群馬テレビ・ぐんテレ
