Suga Defends Refusal To Appoint Scholars
Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has defended his decision not to appoint six scholars as members of Japan's leading academic body, a move which has drawn criticism from opposition parties.
Suga spoke to reporters on Monday about the refusal to appoint six nominees to the Science Council of Japan, the first such move since the current nomination scheme began in fiscal 2004.
The council is designated as a special organization under the jurisdiction of the prime minister, but makes policy proposals independently from the government.
Suga said he appointed new members from among those nominated by the council, based on law and approval from the Cabinet Legislation Bureau. He declined to comment on individual cases.
The prime minister said the council is a government organization and receives nearly 10 million dollars of public money a year, adding that the members become public employees.
He pointed out that current members can nominate people of their preference as successors, and that he had considered whether he should follow precedent.
He also said when government bodies were reorganized, the council was asked to conduct its activities with a comprehensive view, and his appointments were made to secure such activities.
Asked by reporters if the refusal to appoint certain researchers may be hindering academic freedom, Suga rejected those claims.
Suga also refuted the suggestion that the rejection of the researchers was related to their attitudes toward government-backed bills.
The six scholars were opposed to security-related bills submitted by the previous government under Suga's predecessor, Abe Shinzo.
