Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party, which is suffering from an illegal slush fund scandal, plans to begin reform within the party almost a month after the problem arose.
According to NHK on the 26th, the Liberal Democratic Party is rushing to adjust its organizational system and discussion methods with a plan to create a new organization in early 2024 to review reforms to prevent recurrence of problems and restore trust.
Around the end of November, suspicions arose in the Liberal Democratic Party that major factions within the party, including the Abe faction (Seiwa Political Research Association), had systematically raised illegal slush funds, and members involved in the faction were investigated by the Tokyo District Prosecutors’ Office Special Investigation Department (Special Investigation Department). there is.
The day before, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with executive members of the Liberal Democratic Party, including Vice President Taro Aso and Secretary General Toshimitsu Motegi, and expressed his intention to establish a reform organization as soon as possible in the new year.
He then told the media, “We will respond resolutely. “We must do our best to restore trust in the party,” he emphasized.
The Liberal Democratic Party does not dismiss this slush fund scandal as a problem only for the Abe faction and the Nikai faction (Shisui Kai), whose offices were raided by prosecutors, but believes that the entire party needs to take steps to prevent recurrence and restore trust.
Meanwhile, the opposition party continues to criticize the Special Investigation Department’s arbitrary investigation of Abe faction executives, including former Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, saying that it should be taken seriously as an abnormal situation.
Akira Nagatsuma (長妻昭), Chairman of the Jeongjo Committee, said, “Isn’t it unprecedented for a member of the National Assembly who was in charge of the central government to undergo so many listening investigations? “If we do not end the politics of the Liberal Democratic Party, the future of Japanese politics is unknown,” he said.
According to Reuters, Prime Minister Kishida said at the Deliberation Committee of the Federation of Japanese Economic Societies (Keidanren) the previous day, “I am very sorry for causing a situation that has raised suspicions from the public, and I sincerely apologize.”
He added, “We will respond by keeping in mind once again that politics can be stable only when there is public trust, and that policies can only be implemented when politics is stable.”
Source: Donga
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