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Yoshikazu Higashitani, extra generally often called GaaSyy, has lived in Dubai since earlier than getting elected in July.
A Japanese politician who had not proven as much as Parliament since getting elected in July has been expelled, the federal government mentioned on Wednesday.
51-year-old Yoshikazu Higashitani, who goes by his YouTube moniker GaaSyy, is thought for gossiping about celebrities on his channels, which had greater than 1.2 million subscribers earlier than YouTube completely suspended his accounts for allegedly violating its person tips.
Regardless of campaigning fully on-line from Dubai within the United Arab Emirates, GaaSyy was elected into Japan’s 248-strong Home of Councillors, the higher home of parliament, in July. He ran on the NHK Occasion ticket, a single-issue social gathering which requires eliminating the charges the Japanese authorities expenses to fund its public broadcaster. Takashi Tachibana, the social gathering’s founder, is a former NHK worker who desires to abolish the license charge system used to fund the broadcaster, believing it ought to function like some other subscription channel.
However even after successful the election, GaaSyy by no means got here residence. It’s obligatory for Japan’s lawmakers to attend parliament classes, however the lawmaker mentioned he wouldn’t return to Japan as a result of he fears getting arrested over allegations of fraud and defamation made towards him by celebrities.
In December, Tokyo police requested GaaSyy to volunteer for questioning after receiving a number of complaints that he defamed and threatened public figures on his social media accounts. On Jan. 11, Tokyo police raided a number of places with ties to GaaSyy to examine the claims. GaaSyy didn’t instantly reply to VICE World Information’ request for remark, however has beforehand referred to as the felony complaints “false.”
The end result of weeks of complaints by his former colleagues, the expulsion is the primary time in 72 years {that a} Japanese parliament member has been booted out.
Since he entered workplace, lawmakers have repeatedly referred to as for GaaSyy to return to the nation. The general public has additionally voiced anger at him taking greater than 19 million yen ($141,120) in wage and bonuses since his election, regardless of by no means displaying up for work.
In early March, his social gathering was renamed the Seijika Joshi 48 Occasion—its eighth relabeling because it was based in 2013. The brand new identify, which roughly interprets to Feminine Politicians 48 Occasion, was chosen as a result of Japan lacks younger girls in politics, Tachibana claimed in a video, and the 48 is taken from common lady idol teams comparable to AKB48.
Although GaaSyy isn’t identified for his substantive political platform, his supporters hoped his maverick streak would expose secrets and techniques from inside Japan’s political institution. His on-line presence was additionally partaking, having way more subscribers than the ruling social gathering’s YouTube channel.
Final week, the higher home requested GaaSyy to apologize, in particular person, throughout a plenary session for his absence—the third most extreme punishment a lawmaker can obtain. However the lawmaker didn’t present up, saying that he had already apologized in a video he beforehand despatched. Parliament didn’t settle for the footage as a result of it wasn’t in particular person.
In an interview on Tuesday, a day earlier than his expulsion was made official, GaaSyy apologized to the practically 290,000 individuals who voted him into workplace.
“I’m really sorry that I was fired from my position as a member of the National Assembly before I could achieve anything,” he mentioned over video name.
Observe Hanako Montgomery on Twitter and Instagram.
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