Severe Punishment on Abe Leaders

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is considering interviews to the former four leaders of Abe faction to determine punishment on their involvement in the slush fund scandal. It is expected that the leaders will not receive official endorsement from Liberal Democratic Party in future elections. Kishida himself will be punished with reprimanding or lighter penalty.

Although the leaders of former Abe faction took questions in the Deliberative Council on Political Ethics in both Houses, the details on how the kickback system of the sales of fundraising party was handled has not been explained enough. On how they decided to continue that system at a meeting in August 2022, even though former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had abolished it, the explanations contradicted among them. Some told that it was decided to continue at the meeting, and others said it was not concluded.

 

The August meeting was held with attendance of former Minister of Education, Hakubun Shimomura; former Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Yasutoshi Nishimura; former chairman of Abe faction, Ryu Shionoya; and former Secretary General of LDP Upper House Lawmakers, Hiroshige Seko.

 

Frustrated with the prolonged scandal, Kishida decided to make interviews to them by himself. It will be made with the Secretary General of LDP, Toshimitsu Motegi, and the Chairman of General Council, Hiroshi Moriyama. “There are some obscure points. We need to reconfirm them. We hope to conclude on political responsibility as soon as possible,” told Motegi to the reporters on Saturday.

 

According to the news reports, it is expected that the leaders of former Abe faction will receive severe punishment from LDP. There are eight levels of disciplinary actions in LDP from expulsion to recommendation to abide by party rules. The four leaders may receive no endorsement in the election, the fourth heaviest punishment. While it is possible that the leaders will receive party endorsement after they win in the election as the independents, it is not easy for a candidate to win an election without party’s support.

 

Former Secretary General, Toshihiro Nikai, announced on Monday that he would not run for next election. Nikai was the head of his Nikai faction, which was involved in the slush fund scandal as well as Abe faction. He declared dissolution of his faction in January. Looking as if punishing himself, Nikai’s decision may pave the way to punish the leaders of former Abe faction.

 

Weekend polls by Yomiuri Shimbun and Nikkei Shimbun showed no big boost in the approval rate for Kishida Cabinet, remaining as low as in the middle of twenties in percentage. If the punishment on Kishida, who was the head of his faction with false report of political fund, is too light to satisfy the public, Kishida will face sharp criticisms in the by-elections in late April.

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