At least 15 LDP members tainted by the financial scandal will lose their seats

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party faced a devastating voter backlash during the October 27 lower house elections amid a political and financial scandal involving experienced and younger lawmakers.

The issue was at the forefront of the election, which left the LDP reeling after likely losing its majority in the house.

A total of 46 candidates involved in the scandal took part in the elections, of which by At 10 p.m., six candidates were predicted to win. It was expected that the Fifteen would lose their seats.

Nine candidates were sanctioned by the LDP and did not receive the party’s official support.

Some of them were unable to cooperate with the younger coalition partner Komeito in the elections.

Officially, the LDP supported thirty-four candidates involved in the scandal. However, the party did not allow them to be placed in proportional districts as a punishment.

In the final phase of the election campaign, it was revealed that the party headquarters paid 20 million yen ($131,300) in political activity fees to party branches headed by candidates without a party‘blessings.

As a result, both the party’s executive committee and the candidates in question faced withering criticism.

Since the 20 million yen was the same amount paid to officially approved candidates, opposition parties went on the offensive, maintaining that it amounted to an endorsement fee under a different name.

Tsuyoshi Takagi, 68, former chairman of the LDP Diet Committee, was expected to lose his seat in Fukui District No. 2.

Takagi was one of the “Big Five” influential members of Abe’s largest faction in the LDP. He served as the faction’s general secretary until it announced its dissolution following the slush fund scandal.

Takagi‘His party membership was suspended for six months after he was found responsible for failing to declare a political fund balance of more than 10 million yen in his own report.

He did not receive official support from the party and ran as an independent in hopes of winning a ninth term.

Another member of the Big Five, 62-year-old Yasutoshi Nishimura, who also failed to win the party’s endorsement and whose party membership was suspended for a year, appears likely to be re-elected in Hyogo’s 9th district.

Tamayo Marukawa, former Olympic minister, was fleeing Tokyo’s 7th district and was on his way to defeat.

Marukawa, 53, was found to have failed to report a political fund balance of 8.22 million yen in her report.

She officially received the support of the party, but was not admitted to the proportional district.

Attention in the coming days will focus on whether candidates who did not receive official support due to their involvement in the scandal but were nevertheless elected will be able to return to the LDP‘embrace.

Appearing on a TV show election night coverage, – said Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has not yet decided whether to award them posupport for the elections st.

“There was a discussion during this time campaign about whether it would be a good idea. We have to let’s see if we can win the public over‘understanding,“ he said.