Japanese Prime Minister vows to restore confidence as fundraising scandal sweeps the government

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida vowed on Monday to restore confidence in his government amid reports that he plans to purge ministers implicated in a fundraising scandal that has dealt a new blow to his flagging public support.

Allegations that some lawmakers received thousands of dollars in undeclared funds pose one of the biggest challenges in decades to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which has held power for almost all of Japan’s postwar history.

An opinion poll published on Monday showed the government’s approval ratings had reached a record low, while the Liberal Democrats’ coalition partner warned that any rule-breaking would not be tolerated, and media reported that the main opposition party was preparing to call a motion of no confidence in the administration. Kishida.

“We will consider appropriate measures at the appropriate time to restore public confidence,” Kishida told reporters on Monday, refusing to go into details.

Kishida does not need to call an election before October 2025 at the latest, and the divided and historically weak opposition has struggled to make sustained progress on the LDP’s dominance.

But time may be running out for the prime minister, who analysts say will struggle to revive his fortunes even with the government gone.

“He (Kishida) is in a death spiral from which there is no escape,” said Michael Kosick, a professor specializing in Japanese politics at Temple University in Tokyo.

“People are united. It doesn’t matter whether you’re left or right, idealistic or practical, they hate it. This is a scandal that captures the public’s imagination and signals that this is a serious problem for the LDP going forward.” “.

Atsu Ito, a political analyst and former LDP official, said Kishida is unlikely to be able to recover from the scandal, but is likely to remain in office until the LDP leadership election scheduled for September 2024, barring an early election.

The investigation by Tokyo prosecutors centers on the largest and most powerful Seiwa-kai faction in the Liberal Democratic Party, which was once led by the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and is still often referred to as the Abe faction.

They allegedly hid hundreds of millions of yen in political funds over five years in a scheme that saw some lawmakers take “kickbacks” from ticket sales to partisan events that were kept off the books, according to media reports.

The Asahi newspaper reported late Sunday that Kishida had decided to replace four ministers and 11 other cabinet positions in his cabinet. Media reported that the cabinet reshuffle could come on Thursday.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno, a powerful figure who coordinates policy across the government on behalf of Kishida, Trade Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, Internal Affairs Minister Junji Suzuki, and Agriculture Minister Ichiro Miyashita, are among those to be replaced, the Asahi newspaper reported, which also includes lawmakers and parliamentary secretaries. .

Matsuno, who holds daily briefings as government spokesman, has repeatedly refused to answer questions about the investigation.

Nishimura apologized on Monday for the mistrust in politics caused by the story and said he would fully cooperate with any investigation.

Suzuki previously denied involvement while Miyashita said he was not aware of any kickbacks.

The Constitutional Democratic Party, Japan’s largest opposition party, is preparing to submit a motion of no confidence in the Kishida government on Tuesday, Yomuiri newspaper reported.

A party official said that no final decision has been made on this proposal. While it is unlikely to pass, it will be closely monitored for any signs of rebellion within the ruling party.

The CDU filed a separate motion of no confidence against Matsuno on Monday.

Kishida, who took office in October 2021, has seen his government’s popularity decline in recent months, mainly due to voters’ concerns about rising costs of living and impending tax increases to fund his massive plans to strengthen the military.

A Fuji News/Sankei poll conducted over the weekend showed that his administration’s popularity fell to a record 22.5%, down 5.3 percentage points from the previous month.

About 46% of survey participants said they want Kishida to remain in power until his term as LDP leader ends in September, while about 41% want to replace him immediately.

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