The ruling Liberal Democratic Party will lift an election penalty on members involved in the party＊s slush fund scandal, sources have said.
In the next general election, the LDP will allow these members to be listed on the party＊s proportional representation lists while running for constituency seats, the sources said Sunday.
Amid public criticism of the scandal, the party did not allow this in the previous House of Representatives election in 2024. It also refused to officially endorse some scandal-tainted members. As a result, 28 of the 46 affected candidates failed to win seats.
Now that Sanae Takaichi has replaced Shigeru Ishiba as LDP president and prime minister, the LDP appears set on strengthening party unity.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, and Tetsuo Saito, head of Komeito, criticized the lifting of the penalty.
The LDP ※has not really reflected on the issue of politics and money,§ Noda said, while Saito argued that the LDP ※lacks a will to regain public trust.§
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