- Nov. 3, 2001

Kamei becomes new head of death penalty abolitionists

Shizuka Kamei, a former policy chief of the Liberal Democratic Party, on Friday became head of a group of 76 Diet members who want to abolish the death penalty in Japan.

Toshiko Hamayotsu, deputy leader of New Komeito, was elected deputy head at a meeting of the group Friday attended by legislators from across the political spectrum.

Chyung Dai Chul, a lawmaker from South Korea's ruling Millennium Democratic Party, gave a lecture at the session. On Oct. 30, Chyung and 153 other lawmakers in South Korea from the ruling and opposition camps submitted a bill to abolish the death penalty in South Korea.

Kamei, a former senior official at the National Police Agency, opposes capital punishment, saying there can be false judgment in the Japanese judiciary, which he says depends too much on confessions and an overly strong sense of trust by judges on police and prosecutors.

The Diet group was formed in April 1994, and Kamei is the fourth politician to lead it.