LDP proposes to stop party subsidies due to violation of the Fund Act

Tokyo (Jiji Press) – Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Wednesday presented a draft amendment to its bill to revise the Political Funds Control Law, calling for the suspension of state subsidies to political parties if members of parliament fail to law violated.

The design was shown during a meeting of executives of the House of Representatives’ special political reform committee, the House of Representatives.

The subsidy suspension plan reflects the demands of Komeito, the LDP’s junior coalition partner. Komeito is expected to support the amendment, but said during the meeting that it will discuss the matter internally.

Meanwhile, opposition parties have rejected the amendment. With the LDP aiming to have its bill passed by the House of Commons as early as this week, the government and opposition blocs are expected to continue discussions.

The LDP draft also calls on lawmakers to include in their political fund reports the year and month in which they used so-called policy activity funds received from their parties, and to include a provision requiring a review of the law envisages three years after the revision. comes into effect.

Tax breaks to encourage donations by individuals, the exclusion of tax breaks for donations by lawmakers to party branches they lead and restrictions on fundraising for the purchase of party tickets by foreign citizens were listed as issues to be discussed in the review.

Meanwhile, the draft does not include Komeito’s proposed rule to require the disclosure of information about ticket buyers for fundraising parties who spend more than ¥50,000 per event. The threshold under the LDP concept is more than ¥100,000.

The provision for the review of the revised law would leave open the possibility that the threshold could be lowered in the future. The LDP possibly crafted the provision to get Komeito to support the LDP bill.

However, Komeito’s Yasuhiro Nakagawa told reporters that the party will discuss its response, saying that “parts of our claims have not been reflected.”

Hirofumi Ryu, parliamentary affairs officer at the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, denounced the LDP amendment, saying it does not include any of the opposition’s demands. The CDP, Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) and other opposition parties are seeking full disclosure of expense reimbursements for policy activities and a ban on political donations by companies and organizations.