TOKYO: Japanese opposition parties on Sunday reiterated their request that 32 lawmakers of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the country’s parliament, appear before a parliamentary panel on political ethics over a money scandal rocking the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Speaking in a television program the same day, senior opposition party officials also said that the Upper House’s Deliberative Council on Political Ethics should hold hearings for the 32 lawmakers in a fully open setting.

The 32 lawmakers are those who failed to record in political funds reports some funds such as kickbacks paid from revenues raised at fundraising parties hosted by their LDP factions. SEKO Hiroshige, former LDP secretary-general in the Upper House, is among them.

“It’s important to have all of the 32 offer explanations,” SAITO Yoshitaka, who heads the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan’s Diet affairs panel in the Upper House, told the TV program. “Without that, we can’t get to the bottom of the matter.”

SHIBATA Takumi, Upper House parliamentary affairs chief of opposition Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party), also demanded all of the 32 lawmakers face the ethics panel.

Meanwhile, MATSUYAMA Masaji, secretary-general for the LDP in the Upper House, suggested that his party will consider positively the establishment in the Upper House of a special committee to deal with the issue of money and politics, in response to an agreement between the ruling and opposition camps to set up a similar special committee in the House of Representatives, the lower parliamentary chamber.

On Saturday, ISHII Junichi, LDP parliamentary affairs chief in the Upper House, told reporters that the LDP intends to decide in early March on the plan to hold hearings of the Upper House political ethics panel for the 32 lawmakers and notify them of the decision.

Also speaking in the TV program Sunday, in connection with the LDP funds scandal, TANIAI Masaaki, secretary-general of Komeito in the Upper House, called for strengthening the responsibility of lawmakers to supervise accounting officers. Komeito is the LDP’s junior coalition partner.

On the proposed amendment to the political funds control law in response to the scandal, Taniai said, “We want to realize the reform during the current parliamentary session.”

Saito of the CDP said, “Nothing will change unless fundraising parties are completely banned and the provision of policy activity funds (from parties to politicians) is banned.”

On Monday, the Upper House Budget Committee is set to start deliberations on the fiscal 2024 state budget bill, which cleared the Lower House on Saturday.

JIJI Press