JP PM Diet speech pledges political reform, rebuilding of quake-hit areas

On Tuesday, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in his diet policy speech has stated his resolve to restore public trust in politics. This comes in the wake of a fundraising scandal involving factions of his main governing Liberal Democratic Party. 

Kishida expressed condolences to the victims of the powerful earthquake that struck on New Year’s Day. He said that reserve funds in the fiscal 2024 budget have been doubled to 1 trillion yen. He will head a taskforce to rebuild the affected areas, adding that the government will assume responsibility until the areas recover.

He will call for legislative measures including revisions to the political funds control law after holding talks with other parties and Diet groups. He plans to expand and deepen Japan’s bilateral ties with the United States through occasions such as his planned official visit to Washington in early April.