image source, GAASYY/YOUTUBE
A Japanese MP became the first to be expelled from his country’s Senate without ever stepping foot in Parliament.
Yoshikazu Higashitani, who is also a YouTuber who comments on celebrity gossip, was expelled on Tuesday by his Senate colleagues for never showing up for work.
Higashitani has not attended a single session since he was elected seven months ago.
The Parliament’s disciplinary committee withdrew his status due to his continued absence.
Voters chose Higashitani to fill a seat in the Upper House in July. The parliamentarian is known as Gassy on YouTube, where he is famous for his entertainment videos.
The expulsion is the most severe punishment that a parliamentarian can receive. just happened twice since 1950and this is the first time this action has been taken due to continued absence.
The chamber is expected to formalize its decision this week.
It is believed that Higashitani does not live in Japan but in United Arab Emirates.
unanimous vote
Japanese media report that Higashitani has so far refused to attend Parliament because you fear being arrested for accusations of fraud and defamation by celebrities.
He is one of two elected members of the opposition party Seijika-joshi-48. The party, whose agenda is focused on a single issue, and which was formerly known as the NHK Party, asks only reforms in the public broadcaster from Japan.
The newspaper Asahi Shimbun notes that, for publicity reasons, the party regularly changes its name.
Parliament last week demanded that Higashitani fly to Tokyo to apologize in person to the chamber for his absence.
Parliamentarians signaled that this would be his last chance to redeem himself, but Higashitani did not appear at the plenary session.
Instead, he announced on his YouTube channel that he would be traveling to Turkey, and that he was planning to donate his salary to earthquake relief efforts in that country.
His absence angered the Senate, whose members voted to expel him this week.
His only party colleague, Hamada Satoshi, argued that it was illegal to expel Higashitani for failing to attend sessions. However, the committee voted unanimously to expel him.
image source, Getty Images
Remember that you can receive notifications from BBC Mundo. Download the new version of our app and activate them so you don’t miss out on our best content.