TOKYO, May 10 (UPI) -- Japan's continuing national pension saga claimed another politician's head Monday on the heels of the chief cabinet minister a few days earlier.
Naoto Kan, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan stepped down as the ruling bloc of the parliament prepared a major reform of the national pension.
The nation's pension is facing inevitable financial collapse due to non-payment of nearly 40 percent of citizens over 20 years old as well as dwindling birthrate and an aging population.
Changes are inevitable, but the public's mistrust of the reforms has been growing amid disclosures of politicians not fulfilling their pension obligations, including seven cabinet ministers.
Among them, only Yasuo Fukuda resigned earlier as "someone responsible for submitting the draft bills to the Diet." His resignation caused more pressure for Kan to leave his post.
