Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba issued another public apology during the House of Councillors’ Budget Committee meeting on Monday regarding the controversy surrounding the distribution of gift certificates to members of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the House of Representatives.
“I deeply feel that this largely diverged from socially accepted norms and public sentiment,” Ishiba stated, offering his sincere apology. His remarks came in response to Noriko Ishigaki from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), who pressed him on accountability and transparency in the matter. While Ishiba maintained that the distribution did not violate the Public Offices Election Law or the Political Funds Control Law, opposition lawmakers continued to demand clearer explanations at the Diet’s Deliberative Council on Political Ethics.
On the same day, senior LDP officials from both houses convened in Tokyo to discuss the party’s future parliamentary management strategy. LDP Secretary General Hiroshi Moriyama acknowledged the widespread public concern, stating that the party would work to restore public trust.
Meanwhile, deliberations on Japan’s fiscal 2025 budget proposal have entered a crucial phase, with the government and the LDP aiming to secure its passage before the end of the fiscal year. The controversy surrounding the gift certificate distribution is expected to further complicate the political landscape as the administration navigates budget negotiations and public scrutiny.
