Four Japanese ministers submitted their resignations, a day after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced his intention to firmly confront a widespread financial fraud scandal within the ruling party.
“I have submitted my letter of resignation to the prime minister,” said Hirokazu Matsuno, the government’s secretary-general, its spokesman and Kishida’s right-hand man. He has explained that he is resigning due to the doubts surrounding him. Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, Interior Minister Junji Suzuki and Agriculture Minister Ichiro Miyashita also resigned, along with five vice ministers and other officials.
Matsuno’s resignation follows the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry announcing his resignation.
“Public opinion’s lack of trust in me is related to political money, which leads to a lack of trust in government,” Nishimura said. “Since there’s an ongoing investigation, I thought I’d set the record straight.”
The 4 ministers who resigned were from the ruling party, which has been rocked for days in the financial corruption scandal.
Local media have reported that a public prosecution is investigating financial fraud committed by dozens of members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
The party is headed by Kishida, who has ruled the country since 1955.
Kishida’s (66-year-old) popularity has seen a decline that began before the scandal broke, in light of Japanese discontent over ongoing inflation and the yen’s decline, which is leading to a decline in purchasing power. of families.
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