Corruption scandals have forced two influential members of the Liberal Democratic Party to leave the party in rapid succession. On Monday Mr. Koichi Kato, former LDP secretary general, resigned to take responsibility for the arrest of his one-time top aide, Mr. Saburo Sato, on charges of tax evasion. Just two days earlier, Mr. Muneo Suzuki, former director general of the Hokkaido and Okinawa Development Agency, departed in the face of mounting allegations against him.
Mr. Kato's resignation in particular is a heavy blow to the LDP. He has held a number of key party and Cabinet posts, including secretary general and chief Cabinet secretary. He also headed a party faction. A reputed reformer, he was widely regarded as a future candidate for prime minister. Now, however, his reputation, already tainted by his botched attempt to shake up the party in November 2000, has been badly tarnished.
When Mr. Sato was arrested earlier this month, Mr. Kato acknowledged a "lack of supervision" on his part, saying that he bears "political and moral responsibility for having undermined the public's confidence in politics." But he hemmed and hawed over what specific action he would take. That equivocation has further damaged his image as a "can-do" reformer.