LDP's Takaichi retracts death toll comment after sparking anger in Fukushima
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201306190073
LDP's Takaichi retracts death toll comment after sparking anger in Fukushima
June 19, 2013
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
Amid calls for her resignation and growing outrage in Fukushima Prefecture, the ruling partys policy chief on June 19 apologized for saying the Fukushima nuclear disaster has not directly caused any deaths.
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Politicians and families of people who died in the evacuation process described Takaichis June 17 comment as insensitive, baffling and inaccurate.
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Takaichi later said she wanted to emphasize that no one has died due to radiation exposure from the Fukushima disaster. But opposition party leaders said Takaichi was missing the point.
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Mizuho Fukushima, leader of the Social Democratic Party, was more blunt.
The LDP, which has promoted nuclear power, is most responsible for the Fukushima accident, she said. (Takaichis remark) was outrageous. She should resign her post as the policy chief.
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The LDPs Fukushima prefectural chapter filed a protest to the party headquarters on June 19, demanding Takaichi retract her remark and apologize.
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