No Plans to Recommend Resignation or Party Withdrawal
Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is reportedly coordinating to simultaneously discipline about 80 lawmakers belonging to the Abe faction and the Nikai faction, both involved in the 'slush fund scandal,' in early next month, Kyodo News reported on the 18th.
Kyodo News also reported that party membership suspensions and the refusal to endorse candidates in elections are being considered as the level of disciplinary action for senior members of the Abe and Nikai factions.
Earlier, at the LDP party convention held the previous day, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida explained that the party would respond strictly to the disciplinary measures for lawmakers involved in the political funds scandal, taking into account the amount of false entries in political fund reports and the responsibility for explanations. However, lawmakers with smaller amounts of false entries in their political fund reports are expected to receive party suspensions or warnings.
Although a large-scale group exceeding 50 members who opposed the 2005 postal privatization-related bill are subject to disciplinary action, it is reported that expulsion or recommendations to leave the party will not be issued.
Kyodo analyzed this as "an apparent intention to prioritize intra-party harmony in concluding the matter."
The final disciplinary targets and details will be decided by the party leadership, including Prime Minister Kishida, who is also the LDP president, and Toshimitsu Motegi, the LDP secretary-general.
Some factions within the LDP, such as the Abe faction and the Nikai faction, are accused of creating slush funds by hosting political fundraising events (parties) and reallocating money exceeding the quota of 'party tickets' sold to affiliated lawmakers. The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office indicted three lawmakers with large unreported sales of party tickets and faction accounting officers, and four out of six LDP factions decided to disband.
However, some senior lawmakers who oversaw faction affairs consistently denied the allegations, avoiding legal punishment, with only accounting officers indicted, leading to criticism both inside and outside the party of 'scapegoating.'
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