Confusion arose over the change of chairman of the Tokyo Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Chairman Yoshiro Mori (83) resigned on the 12th, taking responsibility for female disdain. Saburo Kawabuchi (84), a counselor of the Japan Football Association (JFA), who was nominated as his successor, declined the candidate for new chairman at an emergency meeting of the Organizing Committee.
On the night of the 11th, he was eager to take office in front of the press, but suddenly changed. Due to the uncertainties in the selection process, after 10 pm on the same day, the blank slate was decided to be withdrawn after persuading Secretary-General Toshiro Mutou of the Organization Committee. Seiko Hashimoto, the 56-year-old Olympic minister, has emerged as a new presidential candidate.
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Information that “Mr. Kawabuchi will decline the chairman candidate” ran around in Nagatacho on the morning of the 12th. Around 6 pm on the 11th, he had just shown his willingness to serve as chairman in front of his home in Chiba City, in response to an interview with the press.
“The selection process itself, in which Mr. Mori nominates a successor, is bad.” On the same day, when it was reported that Mr. Kawabuchi was nominated as a successor to Mr. Mori, there were concerns that it would not be a fundamental solution to the problem in the official residence, the government, and the organization committee. The form in which Mr. Kawabuchi leaves Mr. Mori’s influence as a consultant is also a cause for concern. Mr. Toshiaki Endo, acting chairman of the Organizing Committee, decided that the criticism of public opinion would not be settled in this selection process. I started to persuade Mr. Kawabuchi.
Around 9:30 pm, a person concerned said in an interview, “It’s bad that Kawabuchi-san talked about Mori-san as a consultant. That would be criticized. Maybe this story will disappear.”
After 10 o’clock, Mr. Kawabuchi received a call from Mr. Muto. “Mr. Muto wasn’t sure, but I was persuaded to withdraw the blank slate. I felt the same, so I was hungry at this time.” Mr. Muto called me about three times from day to night.
I did not tell Mr. Mori in advance that he would decline at the joint round-table conference. “I’m a little worried, but I thought Mr. Mori would understand,” he said. An executive of the organization committee decided, “If you tell Chairman Mori in advance, that will also be the root. There is only a bumping production.”
At 3:00 pm on the 12th, a joint round-table conference started at the organization committee office in Harumi, Tokyo. When Mr. Mori announced his resignation and left, a meeting to negotiate a candidate review committee began. There are many opinions from each director that transparency and fairness of selection are important. Mr. Kawabuchi, who was supposed to decline at the end, ran out of numbness and raised his hand on the way.
“It hurts my chest. That’s why I offered to decline on the way. It was hard to put up with it. But I think it was the most contrary to transparency and fairness written in the newspaper in the previous section. Everything is my responsibility “
When asked about his thoughts on Mr. Kawabuchi, he thought, “I don’t want to hurt Mr. Mori, so I don’t want to say too much.” The reporter sternly asked, “I think the series of events was a big mistake.” “The correct answer was that the media rushed into my house and when asked,’No, nothing’, but my service spirit didn’t allow it. J-League board member I couldn’t do this since I was a long time, so I can’t help it. “
Regarding the candidate for the new chairman, “Nothing came out at the meeting.” As a candidate, Seiko Hashimoto, the Olympic minister who has participated in the Olympics seven times in the summer and winter, has emerged.[Kazunori Misu]
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