Following the announcement, on April 4, by the ethics commission of the Liberal Democratic Party (PLD) of disciplinary measures targeting 39 of its members (ranging from suspension to non-endorsement of candidacy for elections, or even expulsion), opens a period of political uncertainty for Japan. Starting with the maintenance in power of the Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, whose mandate as president of the PLD – which ipso facto makes him the Prime Minister given the majority of his party in Parliament – ends in September.
During its sixty-nine years in power – apart from a short alternation – the history of the PLD was punctuated by financial scandals which sometimes took away a prime minister. But these cases were mostly limited to cases of corruption or personal enrichment. This time, the crisis is systemic, illustrating the excesses of unchallenged power.
It was triggered in November by revelations about the existence of factional “slush funds”, these groups of parliamentarians around a strong man. Part of the funds collected during meetings in support of the PLD went to the factions without being declared, as the law requires.
Lack of transparency
Reflecting diverse political sensibilities, factions exist within all parties in Japan. But, in the case of the PLD, they have become an essential cog in the management of power. Ranging from the revisionist right to staunch liberalism, they cultivate clienteles (businesses, professional associations, religious organizations, etc.), the breeding ground for their electorate. Competition between factions fuels internal debate and encourages arbitration, guaranteeing an alternation in the race for portfolios. The amounts hidden to fund the “slush funds” are not considerable (from 30 to 250 million yen, or 180,000 to 1.5 million euros), but these practices reveal an absence of transparency which fuels the public discontent.
It is unlikely that the behind-the-scenes negotiations of the PLD leaders to which the imposition of sanctions gave rise will help to improve the image of Mr. Kishida, whose popularity rate is already close to 20%. The immunity enjoyed by certain elected officials arouses the anger of other members of the party as well as unkind comments on social networks with regard to the PLD: seven accountants and three lawyers have been indicted by the courts but no faction leader: “we cut the lizard’s tail but it continues to run”, says a saying.
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