Detonating the scandal: the prime minister plans to dismiss the core members of the "** faction".
Japan** is once again in turmoil, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is facing the pressure of a cabinet reshuffle. A number of Japanese media ** on the 10th**, Kishida plans to remove four core figures of the largest faction of the Liberal Democratic Party, the "Seiwa Policy Research Association" (commonly known as the "** faction"), from key party and government positions, including Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, who is suspected of accepting secret political funds. This move is seen as a response to the "kickback-eating" scandal, but it could also lead to a huge reshuffle in the cabinet and party leadership, which will be a heavy blow to Kishida**.
"** faction" suspicion: secret political funding involves four core figures
According to sources, Fumio Kishida plans to remove all cabinet members, deputy ministers and political officials who belong to the "** faction". The move will affect Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroshi Matsuno.
1. Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasunori Nishimura, and Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Hikaru Hagiuda.
1. The "five-member group", including Takeshi Takagi, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party's Diet Policy Committee, is suspected of returning the excess amount of political fundraising raised by the Diet to the Diet all the time, and has not recorded it in detail in the political funding report. In the past five years, about 100 million yen of off-the-books funds have been suspected of being involved in the "* faction".
Chief Cabinet Secretary faces replacement: Hirokazu Matsuno is mired in scandal
Hirokazu Matsuno may become the focus of Kishida's cabinet adjustments. He is suspected of receiving kickbacks of more than 10 million yen in the past five years, and as the chief cabinet secretary, he is responsible for policy coordination and information release, and if he resigns, it will become a rare personnel change in Japan. In addition, several other members of the "five" are also on Kishida's attention, and the internal adjustment heralds a change in the structure of the regime.
Scandal spreads: A number of members of the "** faction" are alleged to be involved
According to reports, in addition to the core members of the "** faction", dozens of LDP lawmakers have been accused of being involved in receiving secret political funds. The Special Investigation Department of the Public Prosecutor's Office has mobilized about 50 prosecutors and plans to launch a formal investigation after the conclusion of the National Assembly on the 13th of this month. This scale has been unprecedented in the past and shows the seriousness of the scandal. The opposition parties have strongly criticized the LDP and demanded an in-depth investigation into the structural problems behind it.
Kishida**'s approval rating may continue to decline
In this turmoil, Kishida's approval rating may continue to decline. Kyodo News pointed out that with the fermentation of the secret political funding incident, the approval rating of the Kishida cabinet may continue to be affected. The personnel reshuffle is a move to revitalize the regime, but whether there are enough people willing to board this muddy political ship has become the focus of concern among politicians.
Where to go: The fate of the ** faction is uncertain
*faction, which has produced a number of prime ministers, is now facing an existential crisis. Its influence will inevitably decline, and some voices believe that the rule of the "* faction" in the LDP may be coming to an end. The faction, which has installed a number of prime ministers since 2000, is now under unprecedented pressure under the cloud of scandal. For Japan**, the future remains uncertain.