LDP Lawmakers to Attend Ethics Hearing on Funding Scandal
In a sudden reversal, 27 members of the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) Abe faction implicated in a funding scandal have agreed to appear before the Upper House's Political Ethics Hearing Committee. This shift comes just two days after the LDP informed the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) that no one would attend the meeting.
The CDP's Diet Affairs Committee Chair, Yoshitaka Saito, expressed surprise at the change of heart. In May, the ethics committee unanimously passed a resolution calling for the attendance and explanations of 29 LDP members involved in the scandal. However, these demands were previously ignored.
The LDP's sudden change in attitude is likely due to the negative impact the scandal had on the recent Lower House election, where the ruling coalition lost its majority. The party now seeks to resolve the issue before the next year's ordinary Diet session and the Upper House election.
The LDP has requested the CDP's cooperation to complete the explanations by the end of the year. However, Saito believes that a thorough discussion may extend into the new year.
The decision to attend the hearing was reportedly influenced by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who withheld official party endorsement from some candidates in the Lower House election due to their refusal to participate. Additionally, senior members of the Abe faction coordinated a unified approach among the 27 members.
Despite the lawmakers' willingness to appear, the CDP remains skeptical about the possibility of uncovering the truth. In previous questioning, LDP members often responded with "I don't know" or "I can't recall." The CDP emphasizes the need for a thorough discussion that gets as close to the truth as possible.