(Bloomberg) -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will seek to stop his ruling party’s factions from fundraising and competing for leadership positions, after a money scandal sent its public support to the lowest on record in one poll last week. 

Kishida, who disbanded his own faction over the allegations, said the move would amount to abolishing the traditional groups within the party. While based on proposals from a Liberal Democratic Party panel, the step risks angering the leaders of two remaining major factions, which have not been accused of wrongdoing. 

“We’ll detach the factions from money and positions,” Kishida told reporters Tuesday, referring to proposals from the LDP reform panel. “This will be the end of what have been known as factions, and we will have them become pure policy groups,” he added. 

The scandal has further undermined support for Kishida’s government, already unpopular with voters dissatisfied with their real wages falling as prices rise. No general election need be held until 2025, however, and opposition parties have even lower approval rates. 

Kishida disbanded his faction as Tokyo prosecutors made a series of arrests and indictments over the groups’ alleged concealment of income from fundraising events. Some in the LDP had called for the abolition of all factions, which have long acted as parties within the party, raising their own cash and promoting their members for cabinet posts and party leadership. 

Among specific proposals from the reform panel, policy groups would have their accounts examined by external auditors and the LDP would establish disciplinary measures against lawmakers whose staff members are arrested or indicted over fundraising allegations, according to a copy of the proposals seen by Bloomberg.  

The dissolution of Kishida’s faction along with two others has done little to restore his cabinet’s public approval, which remained well under 30%  — seen as the danger zone for Japanese leaders — in a series of polls published Monday.

Read more: Japan PM Gains Little After Disbanding Tarnished Faction

Some in the party also appeared doubtful over whether the reforms will take hold and raised questions about the fate of the two remaining major factions. 

“What happens from now on is important,” said former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who is among those who called for abolition. “It’s whether we can carry this out.”

About 61% of respondents to a survey by the Yomiuri newspaper carried out Jan. 19-21 said factions should be disbanded, while 31% said they should be allowed to continue after reforms. 

--With assistance from Takashi Hirokawa.

(Updates throughout with comments, details.)

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