From Le Figaro with AFP
Published 3 hours ago, updated 56 minutes ago
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. POOL / Portal
According to the Japanese press, prosecutors are investigating suspected fraud against dozens of members of the Liberal Democratic Party (PLD, right-wing conservative) under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Four Japanese ministers resigned on Thursday, December 14, after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced the day before that he would confront a huge financial fraud scandal rocking the ruling party. Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, Interior Minister Junji Suzuki and Agriculture Minister Ichiro Miyashita also resigned, along with five vice ministers and other officials, he clarified.
“I have submitted my resignation to the prime minister,” said Fumio Kishida's right-hand man, secretary general and government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno, on Thursday morning, referring to the suspicions he himself faces. “Public distrust of political money is directed at me, which leads to distrust of the government. “Since an investigation is underway, I thought I should clarify things,” Yasutoshi Nishimura told reporters earlier.
A “ball of fire”
According to the Japanese press, prosecutors are investigating suspected fraud against dozens of members of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP, right-wing conservative) led by Fumio Kishida, a political group that has ruled the country almost continuously since its founding in 1955. According to several media outlets, the PLD is suspected , for not having declared the equivalent of several million euros that would have been collected through the sale of tickets for charity evenings and then paid out to them by the party.
The investigators are particularly interested in members of the largest internal party faction surrounding former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was murdered last year. Its members would have received around 500 million yen (3.2 million euros) over a period of five years until 2022. Fumio Kishida, 66, said on Wednesday it was “extremely unfortunate that the situation has aroused distrust among the population.” “turning into a ball of fire to restore confidence in the government” and announced that he would “move quickly” with new appointments on Thursday.
Kishida is only supported by 23% of voters
The prime minister, who came to power in the fall of 2021 and was already unpopular before the media gradually brought this new scandal to light for several weeks, is now supported by only 23% of voters, according to a poll published on Monday by the Public television channel NHK. This affair has “further significantly weakened public support for the LDP and the Kishida government,” said Naofumi Fujimura, a political science professor at Kobe University (West). Voters “are expressing concern about the scandal and the perceived irresponsibility of political leaders,” he adds. However, it is unlikely that this will lead to political change in Japan, “especially given the low popularity of opposition parties in polls,” said Naofumi Fujimura.
All the ministers to be replaced belong to the “Abe faction,” although the scandal would also involve members of Fumio Kishida’s group, according to local media. Even before this scandal, Kishida's popularity rating was hit by other areas of discontent among Japanese people, including persistent inflation and the decline of the yen, which are weakening household purchasing power, despite his announcement last month of a massive new stimulus plan. The prime minister can theoretically remain in power until 2025, but some analysts are speculating about the possible calling of early elections ahead of an internal vote in the PLD next year, which could prove very difficult for him.