PM vows to establish rules to boost transparency of LDP factions

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged Thursday to establish rules to enhance the transparency of factions within his ruling Liberal Democratic Party following a political fundraising scandal involving its largest policy group.

Kishida said at a news conference that he is eager to strengthen the governance of the LDP by setting up a “political reform headquarters” led by him next week in an attempt to restore the public’s trust in politics.

His remarks come as the LDP’s biggest faction, formerly headed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is alleged to have created slush funds by failing to declare hundreds of millions of yen in revenue from fundraising parties in its political funding reports.