‘Souvenir’ Scandal Rocks Japan: Premier Rewards New Diet Members With 100,000-Yen Gift Certificates

‘Souvenir’ Scandal Rocks Japan: Premier Rewards New Diet Members With 100,000-Yen Gift Certificates

Beset by opposition to his budget, Prime Minister Ishiba has had to go through the ordeal of saying sorry and explaining himself in diet hearings that won’t get him into legal trouble but may jeopardize his job.

Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, spoke in Kurayoshi, Tottori Prefecture on the 20th about the issue of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's gift certificate distribution, saying, "There is a possibility that this may violate the Political Funds Control Law," and emphasized his intention to continue pursuing the issue. Regarding the Prime Minister's claim that it does not violate the law, Yoshihiko Noda said, "Fr…