The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:56 JST, October 5, 2024

The Liberal Democratic Party leadership is likely wondering how to handle the potential backlash from the public over its stance to endorse Diet members who were involved in a fundraising scandal, in the upcoming general election.

The LDP plans to endorse endorsers who have been punished for their involvement in a funds scandal — as long as they meet certain criteria — for a House of Representative election to be held on Oct. 27. Considering the tight schedule, the ruling party is unlikely to take further action to address the issue, but opposition parties will aim to grill the LDP on its stance.

“It’s important to handle [the endorsement issue] in accordance with our party rules,” LDP Secretary General Hiroshi Moriyama said, when asked by producers at the party headquarters on Friday. “It should not be dealt with based on emotions.”

On April 4, the LDP imposed penalties on 39 of its members, including those who belonged to the now defunct Abe and Nikai factions, in connection to the scandal.

The party has eight types of penalties for its members. From most serious to the least: expulsion; recommendation they leave the party; suspension; not receive an endorsement for an election; recommendation they resign from their position at the Diet or in the government; suspension from their position in the party; receive a reprimand; and recommendation they abide by party and other rules.

Former Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Ryu Shionoya and former Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Hiroshige Seko have left the party following the LDP’s recommendation. Former education minister Hakubun Shimomura and former economy minister Yasutoshi Nishimura have been suspended from party membership for one year, meaning the LDP will not endorse them for the upcoming lower house election.

Tsuyoshi Takagi, former party Diet Affairs Committee chairperson, received a six-month suspension, which ended Thursday. The other members involved in the scandal are still eligible to receive an endorsement, according to party rules.

The LDP leadership plans to — in principle — endorse some of the members for the upcoming general election if they meet certain conditions, such as submitting a written pledge promising to prevent recurrence and their supporters in their constituencies ask the party for its endorsement.

Some LDP members insist that the party will have to allow the punished members to run not just for single-seat constituencies but also in the proportional representation section of the lower house election. With this and other opinions in mind, the leadership is considering how to handle the endorsement issue.

“It’s unacceptable that the members who have already been punished will be punished again,” said a former cabinet member who belonged to the now dissolved Abe faction.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who is also the LDP president, told producers on Friday that nothing has been decided over whether the party will endorse those members.

However, according to sources, he reportedly expressed concern to his aides, saying that the public would not like the LDP’s decision if it decides to endorse them.

In a Sept. 10 interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun prior to the LDP presidential election, Ishiba said the party leader would need to speak with all the punished members to hear what they have to say in order to determine whether the LDP would endorse them for an election.

However, considering the lower house is set to be dissolved Wednesday, it seems to be difficult for Ishiba to meet with every punished member.

Keiichi Ishii, leader of Komeito, a junior coalition partner of the LDP, said Friday that his party would “make a decision on a case-by-case basis” on whether Komeito would support the punished LDP members if they choose to run with their party’s endorsement.

Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda criticized the LDP’s stance on Friday, saying, “From the perspective of public sentiment, this is absolutely unacceptable.”

“Public trust in politics will be seriously damaged” if the punished LDP members can run with their party’s endorsement, Noda added.