Japan Press Weekly

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2024 May 29 - June 4 [POLITICS]

LDP rejects opposition parties’ demand to ban corporate donations

The Liberal Democratic Party on May 29 rejected all three proposals, including a ban on political donations from business entities and other interest groups, put forth by the Japanese Communist Party and three other parties and one voluntary lawmakers’ group,

JCP Chair Tamura Tomoko held a press conference in the Diet building and criticized the LDP’s rejection of every opposition proposal, saying, “Unbelievable!”

Tamura said that the JCP and the four groups, including the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, at a meeting of the directors of the House of Representatives Special Committee on Political Reform held earlier on the day, demanded that the Political Funds Control Act be revised as a response to the LDP’s slush-fund scandal.

She continued to say that the opposition parties proposed three measures: a ban on political donations from corporations and other interest groups; the abolition of “policy activity expenses” or full disclosure of what the money was used for; and holding politicians as well as their political funds’ accountants accountable.

She said, “We are not asking the LDP to do this. We are making demands on the LDP in order to uncover the whole truth behind its backdoor-money allegations and to ensure that a similar scandal does not happen again.”

She added, “The LDP should explain to the general public why it cannot agree with the opposition parties’ demands,” stressing the need for thorough discussions in the Special Committee on Political Reform.