Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi submitted a written statement to the Diet on July 22 [1] denying her involvement in producing defamatory videos.
The move comes as opposition lawmakers accuse the Prime Minister of avoiding direct questioning regarding allegations that her camp created or commissioned smear campaign content during a leadership election.
According to the statement submitted by Takaichi and her secretary, the Prime Minister's camp did not create, distribute, or request a third party to produce the videos in question [1], [2], [3]. The documents were presented to the House of Councillors' Budget and Settlement Committees [2], [4].
Takaichi said the submission was not intended to avoid responding to questions in the Diet [5]. However, opposition members criticized the use of a written document to bypass oral testimony. Akira Koike of the Communist Party said he had never seen such a blatant refusal to answer [5].
Other lawmakers expressed similar concerns over the precedent this sets for parliamentary accountability. Nagatsuma of the Center for Reform and Progress said he had warned that this should not be a way to avoid providing answers [6].
While some reports indicate the statement was presented as early as June 22 [4], the primary record from the Prime Minister's office and news broadcasts indicates the submission occurred on July 22 [1]. This written defense precedes a scheduled period of intensive deliberation set for July 24 [1].
“The Prime Minister's camp did not create, distribute, or request a third party to produce the videos.”
The use of a written statement to address allegations of election misconduct reflects a strategic effort by the Prime Minister to limit her exposure to spontaneous questioning. By shifting the record from oral testimony to a formal document, the administration seeks to close the issue before the July 24 intensive deliberations, though the move risks fueling accusations of a lack of transparency and accountability in the Diet.
