TOKYO: Former Japanese Environment Minister KOIZUMI Shinjiro on Friday formally announced his candidacy in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s Sept. 27 leadership election, vowing to dissolve the House of Representatives early for a snap election over the party’s slush fund scandal.

“I will dissolve the (all-important) Lower House as soon as possible to seek voter judgment” over the high-profile political fund scandal involving LDP factions, Koizumi, 43, told a press conference. It is the first time for the second son of former Prime Minister KOIZUMI Junichiro to run in an LDP leadership election.

A new LDP leadership team would make a strict decision on whether to give party members involved in the scandal its endorsement in elections after examining whether they have fulfilled their accountability and taken steps to prevent a recurrence, the younger Koizumi said.

Koizumi said that he will not appoint LDP members linked to the scandal to key posts until they obtain a mandate in an election.

He vowed to scrap so-called policy activity funds, which political parties provide to their member lawmakers, and promote the disclosure of research, public relations and accommodation allowances paid to lawmakers, in order to improve transparency in political funds.

As part of efforts for regulatory reform without sanctuary, Koizumi called for a review of dismissal regulations and the lifting of all remaining restrictions on ride-hailing services in the nation.

The official campaign period for the LDP leadership election is set to start Thursday.

JIJI Press