TOKYO, Japan: Former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his predecessors are facing scrutiny over the practice of distributing gift vouchers.
This follows revelations that Kishida’s office handed out 100,000 yen (RM2,955) vouchers to parliamentary vice ministers during a 2022 meal gathering.
According to Kyodo news agency, the revelation comes amid growing pressure on Kishida’s successor, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
Ishiba is also under fire for distributing similar vouchers to newly elected lower house members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
The LDP has been struggling to regain public trust after a political fundraising scandal that cost the ruling coalition its majority in the House of Representatives last October.
According to ruling party sources, Kishida’s staff provided vouchers to LDP lawmakers who were serving as parliamentary vice ministers ahead of a meeting at the prime minister’s official residence on 20 December 2022.
Kishida’s office told Kyodo News, “we always followed the law”, but did not elaborate.
Kishida served as Japan’s leader from October 2021 until he was replaced by Ishiba.
With an upper house election approaching this summer, opposition figures have been vocal in their criticism.
The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) leader Yoshihiko Noda, who served as prime minister from 2011 to 2012, distanced himself from the practice, telling reporters he had “never” given out vouchers.
“This looks to be an issue with the LDP’s political culture. It is shaping up to be a deep-rooted structural one,” Noda said.
Ishiba, who took office as prime minister and LDP chief five months ago, has pledged to restore public trust in government.
However, the voucher revelations have put further strain on his administration.
On Wednesday, policy chief of Komeito, the LDP’s junior coalition partner, Mitsunari Okamoto, urged the ruling party to address the controversy.
“If (voucher-giving) was habitual, then it is inappropriate,” he said at a press conference.
Japan’s political funds control law prohibits individuals from making donations to politicians for political activities.
Ishiba has denied that the vouchers distributed by his office before a 3 March dinner meeting were political donations.
However, similar financial controversies have plagued the ruling LDP, including reports during Kishida’s tenure that several senior LDP figures under-reported portions of their fundraising income. – BERNAMA-KYODO
