Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Wednesday that he intends to attend a parliamentary hearing on a political funds scandal that has rocked his ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
The House of Representatives political ethics committee was due to convene for two days from Wednesday, but its opening has been delayed as the ruling and opposition parties remain at odds over whether its hearings should be fully open to the media.
Kishida told reporters at his office that his appearance at the committee would be fully open to media coverage, saying he would like to fulfill his accountability with regard to the scandal as president of the LDP in order to restore public trust in politics.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks to reporters at his office in Tokyo on Feb. 28, 2024. (Kyodo)
While hearings of the ethics panel are, in principle, closed, they can be made public when attendees agree. The LDP has said five lawmakers, including those belonging to its biggest faction, have expressed their readiness to attend the hearings.
Of nine similar cases in the past, only one, in 1996, was completely closed, while five were open to the media.
Kishida said it is “extremely regrettable” that the ongoing “tug of war” between the ruling and opposition blocs has prevented sessions from taking place, indicating he hopes that his fellow LDP lawmakers will also agree to the presence of the media.
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