Some scandal-hit LDP members to be denied endorsement in election

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Sunday that his ruling Liberal Democratic Party will not endorse some party lawmakers implicated in a slush funds scandal as its official candidates in the upcoming general election, amid fallout from the scandal that has eroded voter trust.

The party also decided not to permit lawmakers disciplined for being involved in the fundraising scandal on the LDP's proportional representation list for the Oct 27 election, even if they receive party endorsements for single-seat constituencies, said Ishiba, who also serves as party president.

In Japan's House of Representatives election, each voter casts two ballots, one to choose a candidate in a single-seat constituency and the other to select a party for proportional representation.

Ishiba said those who were severely punished in April will not be endorsed as official candidates under newly outlined criteria.

Two LDP heavyweights, Hakubun Shimomura and Yasutoshi Nishimura, are expected to become ineligible as they have been suspended from party membership for one year, as well as Tsuyoshi Takagi, who has been suspended for six months.

Even if not subject to heavy penalties, those who failed to attend a parliamentary political ethics session will not be endorsed, Ishiba said. Former LDP policy chief Koichi Hagiuda and lawmakers Hiromi Mitsubayashi and Katsuei Hirasawa fall under this criteria.

Among scandal-hit lawmakers, those who have failed to sufficiently address their local supporters' concerns and have gained little backing will be denied party endorsement.

"It is necessary to properly respond to the public's distrust and anger. I call on (LDP lawmakers) to make efforts to gather votes by squarely facing voters and give full explanations," Ishiba told reporters after a meeting with party executives to discuss endorsement criteria.

Ishiba, who was elected Japan's new prime minister by parliament on Tuesday to replace Fumio Kishida, said he and four LDP executives will not be placed on the LDP's proportional representation list, emphasizing their commitment to "fulfilling responsibilities together."

As the scandal deepened and criticism mounted, the LDP in April took action against 39 members whose unreported revenue totaled 5 million yen ($34,000) or more. Of these, 34 received lighter punishments, short of expulsion, suspension from party membership or exclusion from the party's endorsement list.