The scandals involving two Liberal Democratic Party bigwigs -- former LDP Secretary General Koichi Kato and former Hokkaido and Okinawa Development Agency Director General Muneo Suzuki -- are a reminder of the cozy ties that bind LDP politicians, bureaucrats and businesses.
Kato, once a likely candidate for prime minister, resigned from the party last week to take supervisory responsibility for the arrest of his former top aide on tax evasion charges. Three days earlier, Suzuki also left the party amid allegations of extensive influence-peddling, including intervention in assistance projects for the Northern Territories.
The two men have seriously undermined the public's trust in politics. They should take political responsibility by relinquishing their Diet seats.