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TOKYO – Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, revised its internal regulations on Sunday to stiffen penalties for members involved in political funding scandals, citing a sharp decline in public trust in politics.
The Liberal Democratic Party has come under intense scrutiny amid allegations that some factions, including the largest faction once led by the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, had been building slush funds for years by failing to report some income from fundraising parties. exposed.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida giving a speech at the Liberal Democratic Party convention held in Tokyo on March 17, 2024 (Kyodo News)
In revising the regulations, the Liberal Democratic Party will also move away from factions as a means of securing funding and allocating key government and party positions to members, and will ensure that such internal party organizations continue as “policy organizations.” He also promised to acknowledge it.
In a speech at the Liberal Democratic Party’s annual convention in Tokyo, Mr. Kishida apologized for “causing suspicion and distrust” among the public following the funding scandal, and said he would “take the lead” in restoring trust in politics. he added.
Kishida said that the government and ruling party will aim to revise the Political Funds Control Act, which is often criticized for having loopholes that allow politicians to keep slush funds, during the Diet session that ends in June.
The Liberal Democratic Party announced earlier this year that more than 80 of its roughly 370 members had underreported their income on political funding documents, but the party has not investigated or provided details on how the funds were used.
Prosecutors have indicted or filed summary charges against 10 people belonging to three factions of the Liberal Democratic Party, but executives from each faction have not been criminally charged due to a lack of evidence of their involvement.
The three factions, previously headed by Abe, Kishida, and former Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai, have decided to disband over the slush fund issue.
The revised internal regulations stipulate that if the accounting officer of a political organization to which the Liberal Democratic Party belongs is arrested or a member is indicted for violating the Political Funds Control Act, the LDP can encourage the member to leave the party.
However, the new regulations will not apply retroactively to those involved in recent slush funds scandals.
Related coverage:
Votes for the 3rd House of Representatives by-election will be counted on April 28th.
Kishida Cabinet approval rating drops to record low 20% due to funding scandal
Liberal Democratic Party agrees to revise rules to strengthen governance in response to funding scandal
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