More than 200 billion yen distributed to political parties except JCP in the
last 7 years

The Liberal Democratic Party has distributed winter bonuses amounting to
four million yen or more to its members of parliament. Millions of small
business owners who are experiencing financial hardships may certainly be
infuriated to find that the bonuses are paid from tax money.

On December 20, the Japanese Communist Party was the only party that
refused to receive tax money in the form of "political party subsidies."

The ruling LDP received 14.5 billion yen (about 85 million U.S. dollars),
the Democratic Party of Japan, the largest opposition party in the Diet, 8.4
billion yen (50 million U.S. dollars), and the Komei Party, a ruling
coalition partner, 2.89 billion yen (16 million U.S. dollars).

In the LDP, the state subsidies accounted for 53.6 percent of its revenue
in 2000. It really is a state-run political party.

Everyone knows that the president of the LDP is Prime Minister Koizumi
Jun'ichiro who is an advocate of privatization of social services.

A total of more than 217 billion yen (1.2 billion U.S. dollars) has been
paid to political parties (except the JCP) in the last seven years since the
political subsidies were introduced.

Every Japanese citizen, including babies, is forced to "contribute" about
250 yen every year to political party funds regardless of political party
support.

The JCP has consistently refused to accept the political party subsidies
and demanded that they be abolished because they violate the constitutional
"freedom of thought and conscience." (end)