As the Diet began a plenary session on a ¥5.1 trillion emergency stimulus package Thursday, Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Katsuya Okada said his efforts to persuade Ichiro Ozawa to appear before an ethics panel to explain his involvement in a political money scandal did not bear fruit.
"I've asked him to give an explanation at the Deliberative Council on Political Ethics," Okada said during a news conference after the two met for roughly 20 minutes in the Diet. "But Mr. Ozawa said he had no intention of changing his mind."
Okada, whose request to meet with the veteran lawmaker was finally accepted, said he told him how his obstinacy could hurt Diet deliberations as well as future elections if he doesn't appear before the ethics panel.