According to the latest polls, Japan’s ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party, is to lose the majority on the general election held on October 27th. Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru talked to Nippon Television about the loss of seats, and future possibilities of coalitions with other parties.

Q: What do you think the reasons were for the defeat?
A: What I felt while traveling　and making speeches around the country is that there was a lack of understanding about the political fund issue, and the anger of the people hasn’t been dispelled.

Q Will there be any ways for you to take responsibility?
A: I won’t say anything until the votes are counted. That would be irresponsible.

Q: Will you add endorsements for candidates your party did not approve due to the funding issue to make up for the lack in numbers?
A: Voters in each electoral district have made solemn judgments, and it is natural to respect that. This applies to single-member districts. On the other hand, how does it work for nationwide bloc candidates? We need to make judgments considering both aspects.

Q: Are you considering cooperation from the opposition for stable governance?
A: Of course. We have garnered a lot of support, but we don’t have a majority, so it’s important to carefully assess what each party is advocating.

Q: I heard LDP members talked about collaboration with the Democratic Party for the People...?　
A:  It’s not just the Democratic Party for the People; it includes the Constitutional Democratic Party as well. Apart from completely differing areas, the centrist aspects are worth considering.

Q: Regarding the 20 million yen for non-endorsed candidates, why is it the same amount as the endorsement fee?
A: It was not intentionally set to be the same amount.

Q: What is the most important policy you want to achieve, and what do you want to accomplish under the Ishiba administration?
A: Idea of making Ministry of Disaster Prevention must urgently be enhanced. We need to increase both personnel and budgets. We must first deal with the supplementary budget. At the same time, we need to think about security. How can we defend the country when the Self-Defense Forces are only at 90% of their capacity? As the weather gets colder, many people are struggling to make ends meet; how will we handle financial aid?

Q: There are quite a few people who usually vote for the Liberal Democratic Party but didn’t this time. Is this due to the response to the political slush fund issue?
A: This will need to be analyzed moving forward. When supporters of the LDP choose not to vote, there tends to be a significant decline.

Q DId you know that the LDP paid 20 million yen to non-endorsed candidates ?
A: It was decided by the party. It’s being used appropriately and legally by the party; nothing more than that.