TOKYO: Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary MATSUNO Hirokazu and three other cabinet members tendered their resignations from their ministerial posts Thursday morning over a political funds scandal involving the ruling party’s largest faction.

Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s president, plans to appoint former Foreign Minister HAYASHI Yoshimasa, 62, as chief cabinet secretary. He will pick the successors to the other three outgoing ministers also from among LDP lawmakers who once held ministerial posts.

With the new cabinet lineup, Kishida will work on compiling the government’s draft budget for fiscal 2024 and make all-out efforts to rebuild his administration hit hard by the slush funds scandal centered on the faction, once headed by the late Prime Minister ABE Shinzo.

Hayashi is slated to hold a press conference after an attestation ceremony at the Imperial Palace in the afternoon. Kishida is also expected to meet the press at the prime minister’s office.

The other three cabinet members who submitted resignations to Kishida are industry minister NISHIMURA Yasutoshi, internal affairs minister SUZUKI Junji and agriculture minister MIYASHITA Ichiro. All of the four including Matsuno belong to the Abe faction.

Kishida plans to appoint former Justice Minister SAITO Ken, 64, as industry minister, have MATSUMOTO Takeaki, 64, return to the post of internal affairs minister and name former regional revitalization minister SAKAMOTO Tetsushi, 73, as agriculture minister.

“The public’s trust in politics has been shaken,” Matsuno told a press conference. “I told the prime minister that I want to resign so as not to interrupt national politics.”

Nishimura, Suzuki and Miyashita each visited the prime minister’s office to submit their resignations. Nishimura told reporters that he will take responsibility as the scandal has led to the public’s distrust in politics over alleged slush funds created by the faction using revenues from fundraising party tickets.

Among Abe faction members holding key LDP posts, policy leader HAGIUDA Koichi Hagiuda and parliamentary affairs head TAKAGI Tsuyoshi submitted their resignations to Secretary-General MOTEGI Toshimitsu.

Kishida plans to accept their resignations as early as Dec. 22, when the government is expected to adopt the draft budget.

He asked Hagiuda to stay in his current post until his successor is chosen. Takagi is likely to be replaced by former Defense Minister HAMASA Yasukazu, 68.

SEKO Hiroshige, secretary-general for the LDP in the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of parliament, also submitted his resignation to SEKIGUCHI Masakazu, head of the LDP lawmakers in the chamber.

JIJI Press