Japan's Ruling Party Loses All 3 Seats 04/29 06:18

   

   TOKYO (AP) -- Japan's governing party, stung by an extensive slush funds 
scandal, lost all three seats in parliamentary by-elections Sunday in a major 
setback for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in seeking reelection as his party's 
leader in the autumn.

   The loss is considered punishment by voters for the Liberal Democratic Party 
scandal that erupted last year and has undermined Kishida's leadership. The 
party's loss of power is unlikely, however, because the opposition is fractured.

   "The results were extremely severe," LDP Secretary General Toshimitsu Motegi 
told reporters. "We humbly accept the severe results, and we will do our utmost 
to regain the trust from the public as we continue our effort to reform and 
tackle the challenges."

   The liberal-leaning main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan 
clinched all three seats in Shimane, Nagasaki and Tokyo, according to final 
vote counts posted on prefectural election committee websites.

   The LDP previously held all three vacated seats. It did not field its own 
candidates in the Tokyo and Nagasaki by-elections because of the apparent low 
support for the party. It focused instead on defending the seat in the Shimane 
district that was vacated by the death of former LDP House Speaker Hiroyuki 
Hosoda, who was linked to a number of alleged irregularities, including the 
ongoing slush fund scandal.

   Akiko Kamei, the CDPJ candidate who beat former Finance Ministry bureaucrat 
Norimasa Nishikori from the LDP in Shimane, said her victory in the district 
known as a "conservative kingdom" sent a big message to Kishida. "I believe the 
voters' anger over LDP's slush funds problem and the lack of improvement in 
daily lives in the prefecture became support for me," she said.

   CPDJ leader Kenta Izumi said the by-elections were about political reforms. 
"There are many voters across the country who also want to show (similar) 
views," he said, adding that he will seek early national elections if reforms 
by the governing party are too slow.

   The losses could reduce Kishida's clout as LDP lawmakers may try to bring 
him down to put a new face ahead of the next general election. Such a move 
would dash Kishida's hope for running in the party presidential race in 
September for another three-year term. As prime minister, he can call a snap 
election any time before the current term for the lower house expires in 
October 2025.

   Kishida has fought plummeting support ratings since the corruption scandal 
erupted last year. He has removed a number of Cabinet ministers and others from 
party executive posts, conducted internal hearings and drafted reform measures, 
but support ratings for his government have dwindled to around 20%.

   The scandal centers on unreported political funds raised through tickets 
sold for party events. Ten people -- lawmakers and their aides -- were indicted 
in January.

   More than 80 governing party lawmakers, most of them belonging to a major 
party faction previously led by assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, 
have acknowledged not reporting funds in a possible violation of the Political 
Funds Control Law. The money received from the long-term practice is alleged to 
have gone into unmonitored slush funds.