GaaSyy Referred to Upper House Discipline Committee

Tokyo, Feb. 8 (Jiji Press)--GaaSyy, a Japanese YouTuber and lawmaker, was referred Wednesday to the discipline committee of the House of Councillors for not attending a single session since being elected to the Upper House last summer.

It is the first time for the discipline committee to consider punishment for such a reason. The committee will meet as early as Friday.

The committee's chairman, Muneo Suzuki of Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party), told reporters on Wednesday that lawmakers have a duty to attend Diet sessions, and that everyone is expected to abide by this.

"We want to proceed with the matter smoothly without spending much time," Suzuki said.

The Diet law stipulates penalties for lawmakers: admonition in an open plenary sitting, apology in an open plenary sitting, suspension of attendance for a certain period, and expulsion, in the order of least to most severe.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]