Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida resigned as the leader of the Kochikai faction of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Saturday. This decision comes in the wake of a scandal involving the alleged concealment of income and expenditure related to ticket sales for fundraising events spanning several years.

"I want to take the initiative and work hard to restore trust in the party's politics. So this is why I have made the decision to leave the faction during my term as Prime Minister and LDP President," Kishida was quoted as saying by the Japanese broadcaster NHK on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan has called for the resignations of Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno and Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura, accusing them of being implicated in the scandal as well.

During a lower house session, Kishida stated, "detailed answers can damage the investigation. It is necessary to refrain from making any statements. The chief cabinet secretary performs different duties".

He added, "as for the questions you have asked, it is necessary to refrain from answering, but otherwise I want him to continue to fulfill his duties".

Kochikai is one of the five Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) factions that are accused of underreporting revenue generated from political fundraising events, with the possibility of extra income being redirected to certain lawmakers as kickbacks.

Seiwaken, also known as the Seiwa policy study group and previously led by the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is under suspicion of accumulating secret funds totaling around 100 million yen (approximately 679,000 U.S. dollars) over at least the past five years through 2022.

Recent media reports indicate that at least 10 lawmakers in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) affiliated with the Abe faction received kickbacks.

Traditionally, many prime ministers maintain some distance from their factions while in office. However, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has stayed actively involved as the leader of his faction since assuming office in October 2021.

In May, Kishida's eldest son resigned from his position as his father's executive policy secretary in the midst of public criticism over his hosting of a private party at the leader's official residence.

Image source: AP