No lower house breakup before scandal-hit party members punished: Japan PM

TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday he does not intend to dissolve the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, before punishing lawmakers of his ruling party involved in a political funds scandal.

In a parliamentary committee session, Kishida, who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), said he will reprimand the scandal-hit lawmakers, including heavyweights who belong to the party's biggest faction formerly led by the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, during the current Diet session.

"I am not thinking of dissolving (the lower house) before the punishments" for a snap election, Kishida added.

Kishida did not elaborate on when he will take the punitive steps against the lawmakers, saying only that he would act "as soon as possible."

The ordinary Diet session is slated to end on June 23.

The remarks came amid speculation that Kishida will dissolve the lower house for a snap election before seeking to retain the LDP leadership in the party's presidential race around September.

Approval ratings for the LDP have sunken to record lows in the wake of its slush fund scandal, according to multiple media polls. At a parliamentary panel last month, Kishida apologized for the unfolding scandal alleging some LDP factions neglected to report portions of their income from fundraising parties and created slush funds for years.