Japanese lawmakers in the Upper House have commented on Wednesday's expulsion of opposition Seijikajoshi48 Party member GaaSyy from the Diet.
Seko Hiroshige, the governing Liberal Democratic Party's Upper House secretary-general noted that GaaSyy had ignored repeated calls to apologize and had not attended a single Diet session.
He said it is extremely regrettable that the situation has come to this. He said the chamber has clearly expressed its position, almost unanimously.
Tanabu Masayo, secretary-general of the largest opposition Constitutional Democratic Party in the chamber said the expulsion is extremely regrettable, but a matter of course.
Tanabu said GaaSyy's failure to attend the Diet even a single time can only be seen as a total lack of awareness that he was a representative of the people.
She said she sincerely hopes such punishments will never be repeated in the Diet.
Hamada Satoshi, a fellow Seijikajoshi48 Party member of GaaSyy's, said one-sided negative media reports are what formed public opinion and led to his expulsion.
He said he had wanted GaaSyy to keep working as a member of the Diet. He said he wished to apologize to GaaSyy and to voters who supported him for failing to make that happen.