Yuichiro Tamaki, a key figure in Japan’s minority government and leader of the Democratic Party for the People (DPP), will temporarily step down from his leadership role following a scandal involving alleged marital infidelity, Bloomberg reports.
The party announced Wednesday that Motohisa Furukawa, the DPP’s tax chief, will serve as acting leader for the next three months, with Tamaki’s return scheduled for March 4. The decision comes after reports of the scandal emerged last month, just hours before parliament reinstated Shigeru Ishiba as Prime Minister.
The DPP, a significant power broker in Japanese politics since the ruling coalition lost its majority in October’s election, is currently engaged in crucial negotiations with the government regarding tax reforms. A key policy goal for the DPP is raising the tax-free income ceiling from the current ¥1.03 million ($6,900) to ¥1.78 million.
This move, aimed at incentivizing part-time workers to increase their hours and boost consumption, is expected to result in a significant tax revenue loss of up to ¥8 trillion, according to government estimates.
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