In a move that stunned observers, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday that he is considering abolishing his faction in a bid to restore public trust toward politics amid a series of political funds scandals.
“I am considering abolishing Kochikai,” Kishida told reporters Thursday evening, referring to his former faction. “If it benefits restoring trust toward politics, I need to consider it.”
Kishida stepped down from his position as faction chief last month following the escalation of a slush fund scandal involving the leadership of the Liberal Democratic Party.
He didn’t specify whether he would demand that other factions disband, a matter currently at the center of discussions by a dedicated panel within the party.
The first reports about a potential disbanding of the Kishida faction emerged minutes before Kishida addressed reporters in the evening. Hours before, the group had revised its political funds report after it became clear it had underreported ¥30 million in funds from 2018 to 2020.
