Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday vowed to improve transparency of funds from political fundraising parties in response to the slush funds scandal at factions of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

“We will hold discussions under a new organization to lay the groundwork for parliamentary debates on ways to restore public trust in politics during next year’s ordinary session,” Kishida said in a speech at a meeting hosted by the Research Institute of Japan, a Jiji Press affiliate.

“At least, we must work to make money from fundraising parties more transparent,” he said. “It is quite possible that a revision of the political funds control law will be discussed.”

As president of the LDP, Kishida has unveiled a plan to establish the new intraparty organization early next year to discuss political and party reforms.

A wide range of problems have been pointed out over the scandal, including different accounting methods adopted by LDP factions, he said.

Kishida observed he will prepare for debates at the parliamentary session to be convened in January by coming up with specific reform measures.

Asked whether he will dissolve the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, the country’s parliament, for a snap election, he said that “what we must do at the beginning of next year is the restoration of trust in politics.”

“We must concentrate on achieving concrete results in areas including economy,” he said. “That’s all, and I’m thinking about nothing beyond that.”

Kishida underlined the importance of realizing wage growth outpacing inflation, vowing to mobilize all policy tools to the end.

Over the slush funds scandal, he apologized for causing public distrust and pledged to lead party efforts to restore trust.

On the diplomatic front, Kishida said that 2024 will be a key juncture to determine the course of the next 10 years, citing the presidential elections in Taiwan and the United States.

“I will demonstrate my leadership for maintaining and strengthening the international order based on the rule of law,” he said.

JIJI Press