Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba apologized at a Liberal Democratic Party meeting Sunday for the LDP's devastating loss in October's House of Representatives election and vowed to strengthen the party ahead of next summer's House of Councilors election.
"Everything, including the problems of politics and money and the party system, should be attributed to me as (the LDP) president," Ishiba said at the meeting of secretaries-general of the party's regional chapters held in Tokyo. He apologized for the election defeat that was largely caused by public distrust in politics due to a slush fund scandal involving the LDP.
"I may have forgotten my sincere understanding that the LDP owes what it is to its regional bodies," Ishiba also said.
Earlier in the day, the LDP held a meeting at the party headquarters for about 100 former lawmakers who failed in the House of Representatives election.
Many participants criticized the party executives' decisions, including the ¥20 million given to local branches of party members banned from running as LDP candidates due to their involvement in the slush fund scandal. The issue, which surfaced late in the campaign, is believed to have further fueled public anger.
At the beginning of the meeting, Ishiba apologized to the former lawmakers over the election result, saying: "We received a very severe judgment. It's my responsibility."
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