PM Shinzo Abe admits involvement in guest selection for gov't event

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe acknowledged Wednesday that he was involved in the guest selection process for a publicly funded cherry blossom viewing party, drawing criticism from the opposition that the public event was used for election campaigning.The prime minister was allowed to recommend as many as 1,000 guests with his wife Akie also making recommendations, government officials said in parliament. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party, led by Abe, had a quota of roughly 6,000.The annual cherry blossom viewing event, which began in 1952, has been at the center of controversy ever since it c…READ FULL ARTICLE