Japan PM Kishida Pledges to End Political Fundraising Parties Amid Scandal

Fumio Kishida becomes the first sitting prime minister to attend a parliamentary ethics committee, vowing to halt fundraising events and revise political funding laws.

• Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has vowed to stop holding political fundraising parties in response to a major kickbacks scandal involving the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
• Kishida's pledge comes as he faces a televised parliamentary ethics committee, marking the first time a sitting prime minister has attended such a hearing since 2009.
• The scandal involves alleged payments to LDP members for exceeding ticket sales quotas at fundraising events, leading to charges against two lawmakers and the dissolution of three major LDP factions.
• In an effort to restore public trust, Kishida has also promised to revise the political funding law to hold both politicians and those in charge of accounting accountable.
• Government approval ratings have plummeted to their lowest level since the LDP returned to power in 2012, amidst voter anger over inflation and previous scandals.

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