Billy Ken Kid, the masked wrestler elected to the Kawanishi city assembly in Hyogo Prefecture in October, will be allowed to wear his mask in the chamber, the assembly's faction leaders agreed on the 6th. He will wear a mask of the same design as the one he used on his election posters and will be identified by the assembly chair.
Billy Ken Kid, 52, belongs to the wrestling promotion Osaka Pro Wrestling. He campaigned in his mask and finished top of the poll. An earlier meeting of faction leaders approved his use of the name Billy Ken Kid in his assembly work, but some factions opposed the mask in the chamber, saying voters had raised questions about it.
A vote on the 6th carried the measure by a majority. "I'm relieved," Billy Ken Kid said at a news conference. "I hope this becomes a chance for many citizens to take an interest in city government. I want to work hard as a member to see what I can do for Kawanishi."