Opposition Urges LDP to Reinvestigate Ties with Moonies

Tokyo, March 26 (Jiji Press)--In the wake of Tokyo District Court's order to dissolve the Unification Church, opposition parties have demanded that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party reinvestigate its members' ties with the controversial religious group, also known as the Moonies.

The order, issued Tuesday, followed the culture ministry's request prompted by the fatal shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July 2022 by a man in economic plight allegedly caused by his mother's massive donations to the group, formally called the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. The incident has led to the revelation of cozy ties between LDP lawmakers including Abe and the Moonies.

"Many LDP lawmakers who had relations (with the church) have yet to fulfill their accountability," said Ryohei Iwatani, secretary-general of Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party).

Echoing him, Akira Koike, head of the Japanese Communist Party's secretariat, demanded that the LDP "thoroughly disclose all kinds of ties between the Unification Church and the party's all lawmakers as well as local assembly members."

Meanwhile, LDP Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama said in a statement that "the party will respect" the court's dissolution order and "make sure" that its members do not encourage the church's activities or politically act in favor of the group based on its policy of no longer being linked to the Moonies. But he did not mention whether the party will launch a reinvestigation.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]