## Political Fund Scandal Rocks Japan's Ruling Party
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Japan's ruling party, is facing a major political scandal involving the improper handling of political funds. This has led to calls for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to be held accountable and has caused discontent within the party.
The scandal centers around the Abe and Nikai factions of the LDP, which have been accused of keeping fundraising party revenues off the books for years. This practice violated campaign finance laws and has damaged public trust in the party.
The LDP's Party Ethics Committee is expected to announce disciplinary measures against 39 lawmakers on April 4th. Among them, Ryu Shionoya and Hiroshige Seko, both prominent members of the Abe faction, are expected to be asked to leave the party. This would be the harshest punishment issued within the party over the scandal.
However, discontent is growing within the LDP as Prime Minister Kishida will not face any disciplinary action. This is despite the fact that a former accounting official of the faction he headed was indicted for failing to report fundraising party revenues. This has led to accusations that Kishida is being let off the hook and has fueled calls for him to be held accountable.
The scandal has also led to criticism of the LDP's decision not to take any disciplinary action against Toshihiro Nikai, a former party secretary-general, even though his aide was charged over the failure of his fund management organization to report a large sum of money.
The political fund scandal is a major blow to the LDP and has the potential to damage the party's reputation in the upcoming elections. It remains to be seen how the party will address the scandal and whether it will be able to regain public trust.