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[h=4]Japanese lawmaker criticized for linking Obama to slaves[/h]Kazuya Maruyama, a lawyer-turned-lawmaker in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling party, apologized hours after making the remark
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Japanese Liberal Democratic Lawmaker Kazuya Maruyama drew criticism Wednesday for a comment linking President Barack Obama to slavery in the U.S. USA TODAY
In this Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016 photo, ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Kazuya Maruyama speaks to reporters at a press conference after a meeting at parliament in Tokyo.(Photo: Toshiyuki Matsumoto, AP)
Opposition parties in Japan submitted a resolution to that nation's House of Councillors on Thursday calling for a ruling party lawmaker to step down over remarks concerning President Obama that some lawmakers said were racist.
Lawmaker Kazuya Maruyama, a member of<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Liberal Democratic Party, created controversy in Japan on<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Wednesday when he said Obama<span style="color: Red;">*</span>was a descendant of black slaves and thus would not have been considered for the presidency in earlier U.S. history. He also raised the idea of Japan becoming part of the United States.
"Now the United States has a black president. (He) is of black origin. That means slaves," Maruyama said, according to<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Japan's Kyoto News Service.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"When the United States was founded, no one expected a black, or a slave, to become a president. It's a country that has transformed dynamically."
The Democratic Party of Japan, Social Democratic Party and People's Life Party submitted the resolution.
Maruyama, who later apologized, had been musing that if<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Japan joined the U.S. as the 51st state, someone from Japan to become the U.S. president, The Japan Times reports. He seemed to indicate that if a black person could lead the U.S., someday a Japanese person also could win the job.
“As the allocation of House of Representatives seats to each state depends on its population in the United States, ‘Japan State’ would probably hold the largest share in the House,” Maruyama said. “If so, someone from Japan State might become the U.S. president.”
It should be noted that Japan's prime minister is chosen by its lawmakers, not by a general election.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Maruyama was speaking at hearings on proposed changes to the Japanese Constitution.
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