Democratic Party of Japan heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa should decide his own course of action, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said Tuesday, indicating the DPJ don should consider resigning from both the ruling party and the Diet when he is indicted over his political money scandal.
Kan also said he hopes to reach a decision by June on whether to commit Japan to the U.S.-backed Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement for free trade in a bid to open the nation to the world, and by the same month reach a conclusion regarding tax reform, namely a consumption tax hike.
Facing reporters at the Prime Minister's Official Residence, Kan said: "As a lawmaker, (Ozawa) should clarify his future course of action. If (he) thinks he should concentrate on the trial, he should do so."