Japanese PM blames Police for Shinzo Abe's death

JAPAN: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday blamed inadequate police protection for the death of former leader Shinzo Abe, who was shot last week while giving an outdoor campaign speech.

Abe, one of Japan’s most influential politicians, was assassinated last Friday in Nara in western Japan, shocking a nation known for its low crime rate and strict gun control. Photos and videos of the shooting show the gunman was able to approach Abe from behind, while security guards were focused toward the front.

“I think there were problems with the security measures,” Kishida said.

Officials at the National Public Safety Commission and National Police Agency are investigating what went wrong and will compile measures in response, Kishida said. A team of national police officials arrived at Nara prefectural police headquarters Thursday for the probe.

“I urge them to carry out a thorough inspection and fix what needs to be fixed, while also studying examples in other countries,” he said.

Abe was giving a speech in support of a governing Liberal Democratic Party candidate in last Sunday’s parliamentary elections when he was shot. The party and its junior coalition partner, Komeito, won a landslide victory in the polls, helped in part by sympathy votes for Abe. But his absence could trigger a power struggle in the wing of the party he led, shaking party stability.- THE HINDUSTAN TIMES