SENDAI -- Miyagi Gov. Yoshihiro Murai announced Oct. 27 at a regular news conference that he has instructed senior officials of the prefectural government to explore whether the prefecture can conduct fact-checking of claims made during elections from an impartial standpoint following a gubernatorial race where false information about him spread on social media.
During the Oct. 26 gubernatorial election, where Murai won his sixth-term, false and unverified information about the incumbent and others spread on social media, making him realize that it was "impossible to handle the situation at private office level."
Murai stated, "When candidates raise concerns, the prefecture will investigate thoroughly from a neutral position. If issues are found, they will be reported to the police. I want to consider whether we can implement these measures." The plan is to examine the feasibility in national and local elections to be held in the prefecture by involving the prefectural police and lawyers in the discussions.
During the campaign period for the Miyagi gubernatorial race, images on X depicted Murai alongside false claims labeled as "14 misdeeds," including "welcoming mega-solar projects" and "outsourcing water utility operations to foreign companies." Murai had to spend time to address these claims during street speeches, and he even suggested on social media the possibility of legal action.
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