Mayor Akira Ogawa of Maebashi, the capital of Japan’s Gunma Prefecture, has finally resigned. She had long denied the allegations, but she decided to step down as pressure from citizens and the council mounted over the ‘love hotel’ scandal.
She submitted her resignation to officials on 25 November, Tuesday, saying she had made the decision after deep thought. Her resignation took effect on 27 November, Thursday. However, she has indicated that she would like to run in a new election.
How the Scandal Began
Ogawa admitted that she had been to a hotel with a married senior official more than 10 times since February. However, she claimed that there was no immoral relationship there.
According to her, they discussed personal and professional problems. But this explanation did not satisfy the city’s residents, as a result of which the pressure of complaints continued to grow.
Political Pressure and Resignation
Seven parliamentary groups called on her to resign. They complained that the mayor’s behavior had damaged the city’s image. The administration has become paralyzed, and economic activities have also been negatively affected. Then the city council began to prepare for a no-confidence motion. So, as the situation became complicated, she saw resignation as the only way out.
Mayor’s Message
In her message to X, Ogawa said that she was deeply remorseful. She also said that she had tried her best to fight against misconceptions and misinformation. However, she cited her failure to convince the council as his own fault. She also promised to work with all his might to restore trust in the future.
Citizens’ Reactions
The city administration received more than 10,000 phone calls about the scandal. Some complained that the mayor’s behavior had spread confusion in the administration. Many felt that she had failed to act responsibly.
Others said that even if she apologized for his mistakes, it was important for leaders to have ethical standards in their behavior. These reactions made it clear that citizens’ trust had suffered a major blow.
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