Japan PM pledges to restore trust as fundraising scandal engulfs government

The allegations that some lawmakers received thousands of dollars in unreported funds pose the biggest political challenge to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) since it reclaimed its long-held grip on power in 2012.

Tokyo: Embattled Japanese premier Fumio Kishida pledged on Monday to restore trust in his government amid reports he is planning to purge ministers embroiled in a fundraising scandal that has dealt a fresh blow to his sagging public support.

The allegations that some lawmakers received thousands of dollars in unreported funds pose one of the biggest challenges in decades for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has held power for almost all of Japan's post-war history.

A poll published Monday saw the government's ratings hit a record low, while the LDP's coalition partner warned any rule-breaking would not be tolerated and media reported the main opposition party was preparing to call a motion of no-confidence in Kishida's administration.

"We'll consider appropriate measures at the right time to restore public trust," Kishida told reporters on Monday, declining to elaborate.

Kishida does not need to call an election until October 2025 at the latest and a fractured and weak opposition has historically struggled to make sustained inroads into the LDP's dominance.

But time may be running out for the prime minister, who analysts say will struggle to revive his fortunes even with a cabinet clearout.

"He (Kishida) is in a death spiral that is inevitable in its outcome," said Michael Cucek, a professor specialising in Japanese politics at Temple University in Tokyo.

"The people are unified. It doesn't matter whether you're left or right, idealist or pragmatic, they hate this. This is a scandal that is grabbing the public imagination and indicates that this is a serious problem for the LDP going forward."

Atsuo Ito, a political analyst and former LDP official, said it was unlikely Kishida could bounce back from the scandal but would likely stay on until a LDP leadership contest due in September, 2024, barring any snap election.

The probe by Tokyo prosecutors centres around the LDP's biggest and most powerful Seiwa-kai faction, formerly led by late prime minister Shinzo Abe and often still referred to as the Abe faction.

They are alleged to have hidden hundreds of millions of yen of political funds over five years in a scheme that saw some lawmakers receiving "kickbacks" from ticket sales to party events that were kept off the books, according to media reports.

The Asahi newspaper reported late on Sunday that Kishida has decided to replace four ministers and 11 other ministerial positions in his cabinet. The reshuffle could come as early as Thursday, media reported. Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno, a powerful figure who coordinates policy across government on Kishida's behalf, Trade Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, Internal Affairs Minister Junji Suzuki and Agriculture Minister Ichiro Miyashita are among those to be replaced, which also included deputies and parliamentary secretaries, the Asahi reported.

Matsuno, who holds daily briefings as the government's top spokesperson, has repeatedly declined to answer questions on the probe.

Nishimura on Monday apologised for the distrust in politics the saga had caused and said he would cooperate fully with any investigation.

Suzuki has previously denied involvement while Miyashita has said he was not aware of any kickbacks.

Japan's main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party is preparing to bring a no-confidence motion against Kishida's cabinet on Tuesday, the Yomuiri newspaper reported.

A party official said no decision on such a motion had been finalised. While it is highly unlikely to pass, it would be closely watched for any signs of rebellion within the ruling party.

The CDP lodged a separate no-confidence motion against Matsuno on Monday.

Kishida, who took office in October 2021, has seen his cabinet's approval rating slide in recent months, mainly over voter worries about rising living costs and looming tax hikes to fund his bumper military build-up plans.

A Fuji News Network-Sankei survey taken over the weekend showed his administration's popularity sink to a record low of 22.5 per cent, down 5.3 percentage points from the previous month.

About 46 per cent of responders in the survey said they want Kishida to stay in power until his tenure as LDP leader expires in September, while about 41 per cent want him replaced immediately.