LDP Not to Endorse Some Slush Fund Lawmakers in General Election

   Tokyo, Oct. 6 (Jiji Press)--In a policy shift, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Sunday unveiled a plan to refrain from giving his ruling Liberal Democratic Party's official endorsement to some members involved in its slush fund scandal in the upcoming general election.
   LDP lawmakers who have been slapped with heavy in-house penalties or have failed to give sufficient explanations over the scandal will be denied party endorsement in the Oct. 27 election for the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of the Diet, the country's parliament, Ishiba told reporters at the LDP's headquarters in Tokyo.
   In addition, such members will not be placed on the LDP's proportional representation list for the general election, he said.
   The LDP earlier planned to give endorsement to members involved in the high-profile political fund scandal in principle based on applications from the party's prefectural chapters.
   But it has now changed course, taking into consideration a backlash from the public and other factors.

(2024/10/06-16:14)

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