Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, aged 86, is currently under fire as the opposition camp intensifies efforts to uncover a slush fund scandal related to factions within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Despite investigative panels struggling to unravel the origins of substantial funds accumulated through fundraising events, opposition parties are advocating for lawmakers to be summoned as sworn witnesses in the Diet to shed light on the matter, potentially exposing them to perjury charges based on their responses.
The LDP, however, is showing resistance to this approach, having only permitted eight lawmakers to appear before the Diet's deliberative councils on political ethics so far, despite the opposition's request to question a total of 83 individuals. Among those targeted by the opposition camp is Yoshiro Mori, who previously served as Japan's Prime Minister from 2000 to 2001 and headed the former Abe faction within the LDP many years ago. The unraveling scandal has led to the dissolution of the implicated LDP factions, adding complexity to the opposition's pursuit of transparency regarding money in politics, a longstanding issue for the LDP since its inception in 1955.
Lawmakers previously affiliated with the Abe faction, named after veteran politician Shinzo Abe who was tragically assassinated in Nara city in 2022, have disclosed that the practice of redistributing accumulated funds from fundraising activities back to members began approximately two decades ago. Given Mori's connection to the faction during his tenure between 1998 and 2006, he has emerged as a key figure to be questioned by the opposition in their quest for accountability. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida acknowledged the necessity of Mori's attendance in future deliberative council sessions to provide insights into LDP affairs, with a decision pending after questioning another former top executive from the Abe faction on March 18.