TOKYO, Nov. 8 — Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is considering disciplinary action against former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and three other lawmakers who walked out before voting on a bill related to consumption tax cuts, local media reported Sunday.
The House of Representatives voted on the bill on Friday, which was promoted by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government.
Although the bill was passed by the lower house, it faced opposition from opposition parties and some LDP lawmakers over concerns, including a lack of clarity about funding sources.
Ishiba, along with former Director-General of the Economic Planning Agency Hajime Funada, former Justice Minister Yoshihisa Furukawa and former LDP Election Strategy Committee Chairman Yuko Obuchi, left the chamber before the vote and did not cast their ballots.
Ishiba said the funding sources for implementing the bill remained unclear and warned that it could undermine the country’s fiscal health.
TV Asahi reported Sunday that LDP Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki had asked the four lawmakers to submit written explanations detailing the circumstances and reasons for their walkout by noon on Nov. 9.
The party plans to review possible responses at a meeting of senior officials scheduled for the evening on Nov. 9 based on the explanations, the report said.
Citing a senior LDP official, the report said some form of disciplinary action was likely unavoidable to prevent similar walkouts when the bill is deliberated in the House of Councillors, where the ruling coalition lacks a majority, starting Nov. 11. (Namibia Daily News/Xinhua)
