TOKYO (AP) — Japan's former prime minister says he had to use an emergency law that never anticipated major radiation leaks and lacked experts capable of giving him guidance during last year's nuclear crisis.
Naoto Kan testified to a parliamentary panel that he felt fearful and helpless when nuclear officials kept failing to explain conditions at the tsunami-damaged plant in Fukushima.
Kan resigned in September after being criticized for government failures during the disaster. His testimony Monday was his first response made to an investigative inquiry on the nuclear crisis.
He said the emergency law had flaws in handling the situation at the plant. Japan declared stability at the plant in December, but it runs on makeshift equipment and its earthquake resistance is a concern.
