TOKYO (Kyodo) — Japan’s main opposition party criticized pledges by Liberal Democratic Party leadership candidates to clean up politics tarnished by the LDP’s slush funds scandal, as campaigning for its Sept. 27 presidential race began Thursday.

The left-leaning Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan is also in the midst of a campaign for its Sept. 23 leadership election. And it urged the LDP, which has received large contributions from major companies, to implement more drastic political fund reforms.

Former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, one of four candidates in the CDPJ’s presidential race, said the LDP leadership contenders should have announced their promises on reforming the ruling party’s financial practices and political fund rules well before now.

In June, Japan’s parliament enacted a revised law proposed by the LDP to reform political funding regulations, but the opposition camp accused it of being ineffective in addressing the country’s long-standing issue of politics and money.

Since late last year, the LDP has faced intense scrutiny after some of its factions failed to report portions of their income from fundraising parties and created slush funds, leading Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to announce he would not be seeking reelection as the ruling party’s leader.

A record nine parliamentarians are running to be the new LDP leader. The winner is certain to become Japan’s next prime minister in October, given that the coalition led by the party holds a majority in both chambers of parliament.

Party renewal has been a common pledge among the LDP contenders as they seek to rebrand the ruling party and restore its electoral prospects amid speculation that the new prime minister will soon dissolve the House of Representatives for a general election.

With an eye on a possible lower house election, Noda, who led Japan for about one year in 2012 when the predecessor of the CDPJ was in power, said, “If our opponents want to project an image of renewal, we should demonstrate an image of stability to beat them.”

Yukio Edano, a former CDPJ leader and contender in the latest race, said he agreed with the positions of some LDP candidates on political reform, but he expressed doubt over the ruling party’s seriousness to carry out the policy agenda.

Kenta Izumi, the current CDPJ leader who seeks another term, called the LDP measures on reform a “rehash” of his party’s positions. Harumi Yoshida, a first-term lawmaker and the only female politician in the race, lambasted the LDP for “delaying” debate” on the issue.

Away from the CDPJ’s leadership contest, Fumitake Fujita, secretary general for the conservative second-biggest opposition Japan Innovation Party, said he intends to watch whether LDP candidates “keep their word.”

Yuichiro Tamaki, head of the opposition Democratic Party for the People that has been closer to the ruling bloc in recent years, said his party “does not have high hopes for a fundamental revision to the political funds control act, whoever becomes LDP leader.”