Four Japanese cabinet ministers resigned on Thursday amidst a fundraising scandal linked to the ruling party’s influential faction, reportedly involving more than 500 million yen over five years until 2022.
The situation has triggered a corruption probe by Tokyo prosecutors, adding pressure to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s administration, which has faced a sharp decline in approval ratings.
The public’s support for the long-standing ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) fell below 30%, marking its lowest since 2012, owing to grievances over inflation and previous controversies handled by Kishida.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, considered Kishida’s close aide and a prominent government figure, was among the four ministers who resigned.
The others stepping down were Economy and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, Internal Affairs Minister Junji Suzuki, and Agriculture Minister Ichiro Miyashita.
Their replacements are anticipated to be announced imminently.
Furthermore, five senior vice ministers and a parliamentary vice minister from the same influential faction, once led by former PM Shinzo Abe, also resigned, leaving the LDP without representation from its largest faction in the cabinet.
Kishida, assuming office in October 2021, pledged to confront the allegations directly, particularly regarding the faction’s purported failure to report substantial fundraising income.
The faction allegedly distributed surplus funds to members surpassing fundraising event ticket sale quotas, which, while not illegal in itself, led to suspicions of unreported revenue directed into off-the-record accounts.
Matsuno faces accusations of failing to report over 10 million yen in income.
Additionally, other LDP factions, including one previously headed by Kishida, confront similar allegations of under-reporting fundraising income.
Despite the opposition’s no-confidence motion against Kishida’s cabinet being rejected by Japan’s Lower House of Diet on Wednesday, the ongoing scandal has put Kishida’s credibility under scrutiny.
The LDP is slated for leadership elections next September, with a general election scheduled for 2025.
Political analysts, like University of Tokyo’s Professor Yu Uchiyama, foresee challenges for Kishida’s leadership.
Uchiyama suggests that while Kishida might hold onto power due to the absence of prominent alternatives, his position could weaken if a compelling contender emerges.
Source-BBC
