Editorial: By-elections show LDP slush fund scandal is Japan’s top political priority

The first elections with national significance since the slush fund scandal overshadowing factions within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) are at hand. The stances of both Japan’s ruling and opposition parties regarding “politics and money” are under scrutiny.

Three by-elections have been announced for the House of Representatives: Tokyo’s No. 15 constituency, Shimane Prefecture’s No. 1 constituency, and Nagasaki Prefecture’s No. 3 constituency. Voting will take place on April 28.

In Tokyo’s No, 15 constituency and Nagasaki’s No. 3 constituency, the LDP could not field official candidates, ceding the seats without a fight. This unprecedented situation comes amid the headwinds stirred up by the party’s money scandals. The vacancy in Tokyo’s 15th constituency stems from an election bribery case, while in the Nagasaki No. 3 constituency it is due to the resignation of a former LDP member convicted in a slush fund scheme.

The by-election in Shimane’s No. 1 constituency follows the passing of Hiroyuki Hosoda, former speaker of the House of Representatives. Hosoda had chaired the faction that was taken over by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, now known to have systematized the secret slush fund scheme. Hosoda was also facing allegations of ties with the Unification Church (formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification) and sexual harassment.

Although Shimane is historically considered a conservative stronghold, the focus this time is on whether the LDP can retain the seat.

The primary issue in all three by-elections is each party’s approach to the issue of political funding. In the slush fund scandal, accounting officials from the LDP’s Abe, Nikai, and Kishida factions, as well as sitting Abe faction lawmakers, have been indicted for suspected violations of the Political Funds Control Act.

Senior members of the Abe faction appearing before political ethics committees of both houses of the Diet have denied involvement, and exactly how the slush fund scheme got started remains unclear. While the LDP leadership has disciplined a total of 39 incumbent members, criticism has arisen regarding the arbitrary nature of the criteria for punishment. Despite being the instigator of this entire issue, the LDP remains ill-inclined to discuss amendments to the Political Funds Control Act.

The opposition parties, who have been hounding the LDP over the scandal in the Diet, aim to make the slush funds a major focal point of the by-elections.

The success of opposition party cooperation is also being closely watched. The Japanese Communist Party did not field candidates in the three contested constituencies, instead supporting the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. Whether momentum can be built for a unified opposition candidate could be a litmus test for the next general election.

The results of the by-elections will also impact the administration of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. With only about a year and a half remaining in the present lower house members’ terms, the outcomes may also influence strategies for dissolving the house and the autumn LDP presidential election.

Following the by-elections, discussions on amending the Political Funds Control Act will intensify in the Diet. This will be a crucial moment to determine whether the public’s trust in politics can be restored. Both the ruling and opposition parties need to engage in a head-on debate on the politics and money problem.