Photo/Illutration Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Jan. 11 addresses the first meeting of a new body set up by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to discuss political reform. (Takeshi Iwashita)

A political reform body set up by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party held its first meeting on Jan. 11 to address a funding scandal that has embroiled factions in the party.

“The LDP itself must change to recover public trust and to protect democracy,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who heads the body, said at the start of the meeting.

Prosecutors have started a criminal investigation into huge amounts of money accumulated through fund-raising parties by LDP factions that apparently were not listed in political fund reports.

Investigators have a particular interest in the faction once led by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Of the 38 members selected for the new LDP body, 10 belong to the Abe faction.

Moreover, important posts in the body are taken up by party heavyweights who lead their own factions, such as LDP Vice President Taro Aso and Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi.

Former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who does not belong to any faction, will serve as supreme adviser to the body along with Aso. Suga is expected to repeat his calls for the dissolution of factions.

The LDP body is expected to come up with an interim report before the start of the ordinary Diet session set for Jan. 26.

The opposition parties are expected to demand a strengthening of the Political Fund Control Law. Sources said Kishida wants the LDP to have something in hand before the Diet session opens.

One LDP lawmaker who has long called for political reform is Shigeru Ishiba, a former party secretary-general who does not belong to any faction. But Ishiba was not chosen to serve on the new body.

Speaking to reporters on Jan. 10 after an LDP General Council meeting approved the new body, Ishiba cautioned against rushing to come up with a new proposal. He urged participation in the discussions by all LDP lawmakers.

Other parties are proposing measures that are much stricter than those being considered by the LDP.

Even junior coalition partner Komeito is calling for a revision of the Political Fund Control Law to lower the monetary figure requiring the disclosure of the name of the individual purchasing tickets to fund-raising parties.

Currently, only those who bought more than 200,000 yen ($1,400) in tickets for a single fund-raising party have their names disclosed.

Opposition parties are calling for a total ban on such fund-raising parties as well as a ban on donations from companies and organizations.

(This article was compiled from reports by Shinichi Fujiwara and Naoki Matsuyama.)

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