TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister ISHIBA Shigeru said Monday that he aims to draw a conclusion on political reform by the end of this year, following his ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s high-profile political funds scandal.

“We must take seriously the fact that many people are still not satisfied with (the party’s handling of) the series of ‘politics and money’ issues,” Ishiba said at a meeting of LDP lawmakers.

Ishiba urged those involved in the scandal to “use every opportunity,” including meetings of the political ethics panels of both chambers of the Diet, to “fulfill their accountability.”

The government and the ruling parties hope to revise the political funds control law again by convening an extraordinary Diet session later this month or early next month.

On Tuesday, Ishiba plans to attend a meeting of the LDP’s political reform headquarters, according to informed sources.

Meanwhile, the LDP is considering donating funds that were not reported in political funds reports, totaling around 580 million yen, including to the national treasury, a senior party official said.

JIJI Press