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Monday, 1st February 2010
In Events In Japan,

Hatoyama under opposition pressure

Japanese president Yukio Hatoyama has been criticised by the opposition leader over a number of funding scandals which have hit top-ranking members of his party in recent weeks.

In the Japanese parliament, Hatoyama was accused of being indecisive by the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party Sadakazu Tanigaki, who also highlighted the ongoing funding scandal which the party's secretary general Ichiro Ozawa is allegedly involved in.

"I think that the Hatoyama administration has become a dictatorial government led by Ozawa and is no longer a legitimate leadership base on the will of the public," he said, according to a report from local news source Xinhuanet.com.

Ozawa is currently under investigation over claims that his team purchased land with money which was from an undeclared source. Three political aides are also accused of dealing with unreported political funds.

According to a new poll, over 75 per cent of Japanese voters feel that Ichiro Ozawa should step down from his role in the party, reported Asia One.

Written by Kimberley Homer.

Related news stories:
Hatoyama under pressure over US military base (4th May 2010)
Hatoyama shakes up Japanese politics (10th March 2010)