Japan political heavyweight Nikai not to run in next election

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Toshihiro Nikai, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight, said Monday he will not run in the next general election, following a political funds scandal engulfing his intraparty faction.

At a news conference, Nikai, 85, known for his close relations with China and South Korea, apologized for the scandal that has eroded public trust in politics.

Nikai said the LDP's candidate in his constituency in Wakayama prefecture, western Japan, would be decided by the party's local chapter.

The Nikai faction allegedly failed to declare more than 30 million yen ($198,000), resulting in the indictment without arrest of a former accountant of the faction and the issuance of a summary indictment against a secretary of the lawmaker in January.

The LDP has come under intense scrutiny amid allegations that some of its factions, including the largest one formerly led by the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, neglected to report portions of their income from fundraising parties and created slush funds for years.

The Nikai faction decided to disband after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced earlier this year that he would dissolve his group over the slush funds scandal. The Abe faction has also decided to disband. Abe was fatally shot in July 2022.

The 13-term House of Representatives lawmaker became the longest-serving LDP secretary general, holding the post for over five years from 2016.