Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced Saturday he will run in the Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership election next month, marking his fifth bid for the post since he was first elected to the Lower House in 1986.
Speaking from Watari Shrine in his home constituency in Tottori Prefecture, Ishiba underscored a commitment to clean politics, pledging to work to restore trust in politics after a wide-ranging slush fund scandal embroiled the party in controversy over the last year.
“Only by making sure that politicians respect rules, and that politics is not for the money or for the politicians, can the LDP restore people’s trust in politics,” Ishiba said, adding that distrust of the party had reached an all-time high.