Government bill hides most corporate donations in the dark

Most corporate donations to politicians will become invisible if the government-sponsored bill easing regulations on political funds is enacted, Japanese Communist Party Sasaki Kensho pointed out at the June 23 Lower House Budget Committee meeting.

Currently, donations over 50,000 yen from corporations to political chapters must be publicized by law, but the government bill aims to increase the amount to 240,000 yen.

If the disclosure benchmark goes up, between 50 and 90 percent of corporate donations to various ministers and the prime minister will disappear from public sight. Sasaki asked, "Do you still call this a 'reform'?"

Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro answered defiantly, "Some companies are reluctant for it to be known to whom they donated."

Sasaki, holding the Komei Shimbun (organ paper of the ruling Komei Party) of April 5 and May 27, pointed out that just until last month the Komei Party had been opposing the benchmark hike.

Sakaguchi Chikara, welfare minister and also a Komei Party member, got himself laughed at by replying, "Ask the party about it. Within the party there are various opinions." (end)