In what would be the second reshuffle in three months, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to remove a number of senior ministers who are allegedly being investigated for possible fraud, according to local media on Monday.
Kishida’s right-hand man, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, and the minister of economics, industry, and trade, Yasutoshi Nishimura, are among those who could be fired as soon as this week, according to the reports.
The Asahi Shimbun daily reports that fifteen people in total, including numerous deputy ministers and legislative vice ministers, will be let go.
All of them are members of a faction that was once led by the late prime minister Shinzo Abe. This faction is one of the primary groups competing with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) for influence and power.
According to media reports in recent days, prosecutors are looking into claims that the faction failed to register tens of thousands of cash received through fundraising parties.
Former Olympic minister Seiko Hashimoto is allegedly one more person involved.
On Monday, Kishida stated he took the charges of fraud seriously but would not comment on a potential reshuffle, which might occur after the current parliament session concludes on Wednesday.
“I’m thinking of taking appropriate measures at an appropriate timing for the sake of recovery of the public’s trust (in the government), and for preventing delays in government operations,” Kishida told reporters.
Kishida’s poll ratings are at their lowest levels since he took office two years ago, in part because of voter unease over inflation.
Public support for his cabinet is at 22.5 percent, down from 27.8 percent last month, according to the most recent survey conducted by Fuji TV and the Sankei Shimbun daily. In contrast, public disapproval is at 71.9 percent, up from 68.8 percent.
This is in spite of an earlier restructuring that took place in September and a stimulus plan totaling 17 trillion yen ($117 billion) that was unveiled in November for the third-largest economy in the world.
Kishida, 66, is eligible to continue in office until 2025, but there has been conjecture that he may hold a sudden election in order to avoid the inevitable difficult internal LDP leadership battle the following year.
According to Jiji Press, the opposition planned to submit a non-confidence motion to the parliament later on Monday, albeit it was unlikely to be approved.
