Japan Press Weekly

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2015 March 4 - 10 [POLITICS]

Diet should now impose ban on political donations from corporations and other organizations

Akahata editorial (excerpts)

Following the former agriculture minister and the ministers of environment and justice, Prime Minister Abe Shinzo is now being grilled in the Diet over allegations of accepting donations from corporations receiving state subsidies. Parliamentarians who have accepted donations from government-subsidized firms should disclose this before the public. The Diet should implement a total ban on political donations from corporations and other special interest groups.

The donation allegations starting with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party have expanded to the opposition Democratic and Japan Innovation parties. Some of the names reported in the media include PM Abe, Deputy Prime Minister Aso Taro, Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide (LDP), Okada Katsuya (DPJ leader), and Katayama Toranosuke (JIP).

The Political Funds Control Act in principle prohibits corporations from making a political contribution over a one-year period after the government decides to provide subsidies to those businesses. The law imposes penalties for violation on not only donor corporations but also recipient politicians.

This rule was established in order to prevent the flow of taxpayers’ money indirectly from corporations to politicians.

Political donations from corporations and other organizations should have been eliminated 20 years ago in exchange of the introduction of the system of government subsidies to political parties. The need now is to take a step toward a total elimination of corporate and organizational donations to politicians.