１億５０００万円、国民に説明　自民総裁選、争点は党改革―岸田氏インタビュー

　自民党総裁選に出馬する岸田文雄前政調会長は１４日、報道各社のインタビューに応じた。２０１９年参院選で河井克行元法相夫妻側に党本部が支出した１億５０００万円に関し、「買収に使われていないことを書面をもって国民に説明する」と強調。「政治とカネ」の問題への強い批判を踏まえ、総裁選の争点は「党改革」だと主張した。
　岸田氏は「党の説明責任、透明性、ガバナンス改革を考えなければいけない」と指摘。「できるだけ早く」説明する考えを示した。当選無効となった国会議員に４割の歳費返還を求める歳費法改正にも取り組むと語った。
　憲法改正に関しては、安倍政権時にまとめた４項目の党改憲案の実現に「努力を注ぐ」と表明した。新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大を受けて「緊急事態条項（の対象）に感染症を加えるか、議論はあってもいい」と述べた。
　カジノを含む統合型リゾート（ＩＲ）に関しては「経済に少なからず意味がある。信頼醸成、地元の理解を大切にし、可能性を追求していく課題だ」と主張。米軍普天間飛行場（沖縄県宜野湾市）の名護市辺野古への移設は「進めるべきだ。丁寧な説明を地元にしなければならない」と語った。（2021/09/14-11:36）

Fumio Kishida, who will run for president of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, pledged Tuesday to explain about party spending suspected to have been used in a vote-buying scandal involving two former LDP lawmakers.
   It is suspected that some funds former Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai and his wife, Anri, used for vote-buying for Anri's campaign for the 2019 election of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament, was sourced from a total of 150 million yen sent from the LDP headquarters to the Kawais side.
   "I'll explain to the public in writing that the money (sent from the LDP) wasn't used for vote-buying," Kishida, former policy chief of the LDP, said in an interview.
   "We have to think about the party's accountability and transparency, as well as reform of its governance," Kishida said, expressing his intention to give an explanation about the LDP funds in question "as soon as possible."
   How to reform the party will be a key issue in the LDP leadership race on Sept. 29 for choosing the successor to outgoing President Yoshihide Suga, also prime minister, Kishida stressed, apparently aiming to fend off strong criticism over the issue of money and politics.