The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Japan is grappling with potential disciplinary actions against 39 lawmakers implicated in a political fund scandal, which has led to considerations for expulsion for high-ranking party members such as Ryu Shionoya, head of the Abe faction’s executive board, and Hiroshige Seko, former secretary-general of the LDP’s Upper House caucus. The Party Ethics Committee is set to make decisions on these measures on April 4, amid swelling blowback against Prime Minister Fumio Kishida within the party.
LDP executives, including Kishida, are of the opinion that Shionoya and Seko, prominent members of the Abe faction in the Lower House and the Upper House respectively, should bear the most responsibility for the faction's long-standing practice of concealing fundraising party revenues. This practice involved returning surplus party ticket sales to lawmakers without proper reporting, tarnishing the public's trust in politics. Shionoya, along with Hakubun Shimomura and Yasutoshi Nishimura, former secretaries-general of the Abe faction, are set to face penalties for their roles in this scandal.
Despite calls for accountability across the board, there is discontent within the LDP as Kishida is not expected to receive any disciplinary measures, despite his leadership of a faction implicated in the wrongdoing. This has led to criticism from within the party, with members questioning the fairness of the decision-making process based solely on the amount of money involved in the scandal and urging for a more thorough investigation to precede any disciplinary actions. Furthermore, there is a sense of frustration among some members who are part of the 39 facing penalties, with a mid-ranking lawmaker expressing their intent to formally complain within the party once the measures are finalized.