Political reform and the Liberal Democratic Party’s handling of its slush fund scandal took center stage in Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's first one-on-one debate with opposition leaders in parliament Wednesday.
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda lambasted Ishiba’s initial decision to give the party’s formal backing to lawmakers involved in the scandal in the Oct. 27 Lower House election.
“Taxpayers' money destined for political parties might be paid to people who have engaged in actions akin to tax evasion,” Noda said Wednesday, asking Ishiba to provide further explanations on the party’s endorsements. “From the perspective of public sentiment, I find this totally incomprehensible.”
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