Kishida vows to sever LDP ties with Unification Church

Sep 01 (Nikkei) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday that his ruling Liberal Democratic Party will sever ties with the former Unification Church.

In his first in-person news conference after being isolated for COVID, Kishida apologized to the public for LDP lawmakers' relationships with the problematic religious group.

"We continue to receive concerns and doubts from the public. As President of the Liberal Democratic Party, I would like to offer my sincere apologies," he said.

"Diet members should sincerely reflect on the past, discard their ties, and sever all ties with the organization," the prime minister said. "This should be the party's basic policy, and all Diet members should be thoroughly instructed to sever ties with the organization."

Kishida added that his party will release the results of an inquiry into the relationships of its members with the church. "As the Liberal Democratic Party, we will fulfill our accountability and take strict measures to restore the public's trust." ...continue reading

Source: ANNnewsCH

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