Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has formally warned former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and three other lawmakers after they walked out of the House of Representatives before a vote on a consumption‑tax cut bill. Kyodo News reported the warnings were issued Monday, and the Asahi Shimbun noted it is the first time an LDP former prime minister has faced discipline under party rules.
The tax‑cut bill, promoted by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration, had cleared the lower house on Friday. However, opposition parties and some LDP legislators opposed the measure, citing uncertainty about how the revenue loss would be offset. Ishiba, former director‑general of the Economic Planning Agency, along with Hajime Funada, former Justice Minister, and Yuko Obuchi, former LDP Election Strategy Committee Chair, left the chamber before the vote and did not cast ballots.
According to Kyodo, the four lawmakers submitted written explanations to the LDP after their walkouts. Ishiba’s comments, cited by Xinhua, highlighted that abandoning the tax revenue without a clear funding source would be “extremely problematic for the country as a whole.”
