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Japan's Ruling Party Loses All 3 Seats 04/29 06:18
TOKYO (AP) -- Japan's governing party, stung by an extensive slush funds
scandal, lost all three seats in parliamentary by-elections Sunday in a major
setback for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in seeking reelection as his party's
leader in the autumn.
The loss is considered punishment by voters for the Liberal Democratic Party
scandal that erupted last year and has undermined Kishida's leadership. The
party's loss of power is unlikely, however, because the opposition is fractured.
"The results were extremely severe," LDP Secretary General Toshimitsu Motegi
told reporters. "We humbly accept the severe results, and we will do our utmost
to regain the trust from the public as we continue our effort to reform and
tackle the challenges."
The liberal-leaning main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan
clinched all three seats in Shimane, Nagasaki and Tokyo, according to final
vote counts posted on prefectural election committee websites.
The LDP previously held all three vacated seats. It did not field its own
candidates in the Tokyo and Nagasaki by-elections because of the apparent low
support for the party. It focused instead on defending the seat in the Shimane
district that was vacated by the death of former LDP House Speaker Hiroyuki
Hosoda, who was linked to a number of alleged irregularities, including the
ongoing slush fund scandal.
Akiko Kamei, the CDPJ candidate who beat former Finance Ministry bureaucrat
Norimasa Nishikori from the LDP in Shimane, said her victory in the district
known as a "conservative kingdom" sent a big message to Kishida. "I believe the
voters' anger over LDP's slush funds problem and the lack of improvement in
daily lives in the prefecture became support for me," she said.
CPDJ leader Kenta Izumi said the by-elections were about political reforms.
"There are many voters across the country who also want to show (similar)
views," he said, adding that he will seek early national elections if reforms
by the governing party are too slow.
The losses could reduce Kishida's clout as LDP lawmakers may try to bring
him down to put a new face ahead of the next general election. Such a move
would dash Kishida's hope for running in the party presidential race in
September for another three-year term. As prime minister, he can call a snap
election any time before the current term for the lower house expires in
October 2025.
Kishida has fought plummeting support ratings since the corruption scandal
erupted last year. He has removed a number of Cabinet ministers and others from
party executive posts, conducted internal hearings and drafted reform measures,
but support ratings for his government have dwindled to around 20%.
The scandal centers on unreported political funds raised through tickets
sold for party events. Ten people -- lawmakers and their aides -- were indicted
in January.
More than 80 governing party lawmakers, most of them belonging to a major
party faction previously led by assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe,
have acknowledged not reporting funds in a possible violation of the Political
Funds Control Law. The money received from the long-term practice is alleged to
have gone into unmonitored slush funds.
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