Hyogo Governor Saito Motohiko announces he will continue in his position， reflecting on the fact that “the past cannot be undone” but also saying， “I want to continue to work as a better governor．”
Regarding the issue of documents alleging misconduct against Hyogo Prefectural Governor Motohiko Saito (46), the Prefectural Assembly’s Special Investigation Committee (100 Articles Committee) questioned Saito himself as a witness for the first time about the power harassment allegations on the 30th. The committee members asked tough questions, such as “lack of communication with staff.” Hyogo Prefectural Assembly member Eiichi Ueno (71) prefaced his remarks by saying, “The governor’s sense of human rights is different from that of ordinary people,” and when asked what kind of mindset he has when interacting with staff on a daily basis, Governor Saito replied, “Since we work together, I am conscious of listening carefully to what they have to say and telling them what I would like them to do.” Furthermore, when asked “Do you think the governor is patient or short-tempered?” he replied, “There are two sides to him. Basically, he is quite easygoing, but when it comes to work and mistakes, he can be short-tempered.” He pointed out that a staff survey had revealed issues such as “instant water heaters,” and asked employees to remain calm when dealing with issues. Regarding the phrase “I gave strict instructions” that Governor Saito often uses, he said, “A normal person wouldn’t say something like that. The Governor is the No. 1 person in the prefecture and the highest executive authority in Hyogo Prefecture administration. However, I cannot say for sure that the governor is number one in terms of ability or knowledge,” he said, and regarding the allegations that he yelled at senior officials, he pointed out, “If you have a normal sense of human rights, you would not yell at someone with a lot of administrative experience and life experience.” When pressed harshly, saying, “Unless he realizes that he has a culture of power harassment, we, the staff, and the people of the prefecture will not be able to keep up with a governor like this,” Governor Saito responded, “We have received a variety of criticisms,” and added, “There are aspects in which I have been strict with him regarding work. “I want to do a good job for the prefectural government and the people of the prefecture,” he said, adding, “I think there are areas where I am lacking, such as how I treat and communicate with staff members. If what you’ve done makes you feel bad, you can’t take back the past. I would like to apologize directly,” he said humbly. He then expressed his strong desire to continue in his position, saying, “I would like to continue to work hard to be an even better governor.”
The past cannot be undone = the two people who committed suicide because of me will not come back to life, therefore I am resigning”, is what I would expect.
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