The Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) requested on June 9 [1] that a secretary to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi testify before the House of Councillors budget committee.

The request centers on allegations that Takaichi's camp created and spread videos to slander opposing candidates during last year's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership race and this year's House of Representatives election. If proven, the incident would raise serious questions about the fairness of Japanese elections and the integrity of the current administration.

CDP Diet Affairs Committee Chair Yoshitaka Saito said that if the Prime Minister's statements are factual, there is no need to hide the truth. Saito said that having a public secretary explain the situation in the Diet would be the fastest way to clear suspicions.

The LDP has refused the request. LDP Diet Affairs Committee Chair Hiko Isozaki said the request was difficult and that the opposition should instead listen to the information provided through the Prime Minister.

The controversy stems from reports by Weekly Bunshun and other outlets regarding the production of these smear videos [2]. Prime Minister Takaichi has previously denied the allegations, saying on May 14 that she had not engaged in such activities [3].

The CDP is seeking the testimony during the budget committee sessions scheduled for June 2026 [1]. The opposition party maintains that the government has a responsibility to provide a transparent explanation to the public regarding the fairness of the electoral process [2].

“Having a public secretary explain the situation in the Diet would be the fastest way to clear suspicions.”

This confrontation highlights a deepening friction between the LDP and the CDP over electoral ethics. By attempting to summon a staffer rather than the Prime Minister herself, the opposition is trying to find a witness who may provide a different account of the administration's campaign tactics, potentially bypassing the Prime Minister's official denials to establish a factual record of misconduct.