December 25, 2024
A bill to abolish “policy activity funds,” jointly submitted by the Japanese Communist Party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, and five other parties, was enacted at a plenary session of the House of Councilors on December 24.
At the same time, a Liberal Democratic Party-proposed bill to revise the Political Funds Control Act and a bill co-sponsored by the Komei Party and the Democratic Party for the People to establish an independent third-party organization to monitor political funds also became laws. The JCP, however, voted against these bills.
JCP Dietmember Yamashita Yoshiki, in opposition to the latter two bills, pointed out that the LDP proposal will allow the continuance of political donations from corporations and other interest groups and create a loophole that allows foreign-affiliated companies to purchase political fundraiser tickets. He added that the JCP cannot endorse the LDP-submitted bill because it includes the establishment of a system to use tax-funded “government subsidies to political parties” as a penalty, in short to reduce the amount of funds to be distributed to parties that engaged in dishonest acts.
Regarding the Komei/DPP bill, Yamashita argued that the proposed “independent third-party organization” could be used to just endorse the “appropriateness” of political funds reports, thus could become a convenient shield for misappropriation of political funds. He stated that that it is important to keep political funds reports under constant public monitoring and to promptly disclose the reports to the general public.
At the same time, a Liberal Democratic Party-proposed bill to revise the Political Funds Control Act and a bill co-sponsored by the Komei Party and the Democratic Party for the People to establish an independent third-party organization to monitor political funds also became laws. The JCP, however, voted against these bills.
JCP Dietmember Yamashita Yoshiki, in opposition to the latter two bills, pointed out that the LDP proposal will allow the continuance of political donations from corporations and other interest groups and create a loophole that allows foreign-affiliated companies to purchase political fundraiser tickets. He added that the JCP cannot endorse the LDP-submitted bill because it includes the establishment of a system to use tax-funded “government subsidies to political parties” as a penalty, in short to reduce the amount of funds to be distributed to parties that engaged in dishonest acts.
Regarding the Komei/DPP bill, Yamashita argued that the proposed “independent third-party organization” could be used to just endorse the “appropriateness” of political funds reports, thus could become a convenient shield for misappropriation of political funds. He stated that that it is important to keep political funds reports under constant public monitoring and to promptly disclose the reports to the general public.
