Fukuoka Assembly Speaker Says He Will Resign
The speaker of the Fukuoka prefectural assembly has said he intends to resign from his position.
The speaker leads the assembly, which is the local government body for Fukuoka prefecture.
His decision comes amid a scandal involving money that was reportedly given to or received by assembly members.
Separately, a resolution calling for the speaker's resignation was proposed in the assembly.
However, some members are unhappy with how this resolution has been handled, and discontent is reportedly growing among them.
A senior member of the Democratic Party for the People, the party's secretary-general in the assembly, commented on the issue.
He said the matter should not be left unresolved and that it must be dealt with properly.
The exact details of the money scandal have not been fully explained, but it has caused concern within the assembly.
It remains unclear when the speaker will formally step down or how the assembly will respond to the resolution.
Vocabulary9 words
- speaker
- the leader of a group of politicians in an assembly
- resign
- to officially leave a job by choice
- scandal
- a situation that causes public anger because something wrong happened
- resolution
- a formal decision agreed by a group
- resignation
- the act of leaving a job
- discontent
- a feeling of not being satisfied or happy
- Democratic Party for the People
- a political party in Japan
- secretary-general
- a senior person who manages a group's activities
- unresolved
- not yet solved or finished
Quiz
Answer key
1. Resign from his role 2. They dislike how the resignation resolution was handled 3. The issue should be dealt with properly, not left unclear
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
The _____ of the Fukuoka prefectural assembly has said he intends to _____ from his position.
The speaker leads the assembly, which is the local _____ body for Fukuoka prefecture.
His decision comes amid a _____ involving money that was reportedly given to or received by assembly members.
Separately, a _____ calling for the speaker's resignation was proposed in the assembly.
However, some members are unhappy with how this resolution has been handled, and _____ is reportedly growing among them.
A senior member of the Democratic Party for the People, the party's _____ in the assembly, commented on the issue.
He said the matter should not be left _____ and that it must be dealt with properly.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think political scandals about money are taken seriously?
- Do you think a politician should resign if accused of wrongdoing, even before a full investigation?
- How can assemblies handle disagreements between members fairly?
- What do you think 'dealing with something properly' means in politics?