Unification Church Issue Haunts LDP amid Leadership Race
Tokyo, Sept. 17 (Jiji Press)--Suspected organizational ties between Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the Unification Church are haunting the party ahead of its Sept. 27 leadership election.
On Tuesday, the Asahi Shimbun daily published a photo purporting to show a meeting between then LDP President and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and a senior official of the religious group at the party's headquarters ahead of the 2013 House of Councillors election.
The photo also showed former Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, the younger brother of Abe, and former LDP policy chief Koichi Hagiuda, who was a close aide to him.
Asked whether the party had any organizational ties with the group, current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters Tuesday, "We have explained the relationship between the party and the Unification Church many times and have nothing to add at this stage."
In September 2022, the LDP released the results of a survey of its lawmakers on their relations with the religious group, and LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi said at the time, "As a party, we have no ties (with the group)."
(2024/09/18-00:18)
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