GaaSyy Set for 1st Expulsion from Diet in 72 Years

Tokyo, March 14 (Jiji Press)--The Committee on Discipline of Japan's House of Councillors unanimously approved the expulsion of GaaSyy on Tuesday after the Upper House member refused to apologize for his continued absence.

The expulsion, the severest penalty for a lawmaker under the Diet law, will be formally adopted at a plenary meeting of the upper chamber of the Diet on Wednesday.

GaaSyy, whose real name is Yoshikazu Higashitani, will be the third Diet member to be expelled, and the first in 72 years.

GaaSyy had been ordered by the Upper House to apologize at an open parliamentary meeting as a penalty for his failure to attend a single meeting since he won a seat in July last year.

An Upper House meeting was scheduled for last Wednesday to hear his apology, but GaaSyy did not attend. Upper House President Hidehisa Otsuji then referred him back to the disciplinary committee.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]