Opposition forces on Monday jointly submitted a bill to parliament to revise the Political Funds Control Law, in the wake of a funds scandal involving the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
The bill was submitted to the House of Representatives, the lower house of parliament, by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), the People’s Democratic Party (DPP) and the Yushi no Kai parliamentary faction.
The legislation calls for the introduction of a debt-by-association system with stricter rules for lawmakers on violations of the law and a ban on so-called policy activity funds provided by political parties to members of the legislature.
The CDP, DPP and Yushi no Kai view the legislation as a counter-proposal to the LDP’s bill introduced on Friday to revise the law. The version of the LDP aims to continue to allow funds for policy activities to be provided with certain disclosure rules.
Under the opposition groups’ bill, lawmakers will have to make their own declarations about political funds and their civil rights will be suspended if they are found guilty of violations.
Their bill also calls for efforts to reduce state subsidies to political parties if members of parliament are indicted, and to establish a third-party parliamentary body charged with overseeing political funds.
The CDP also plans to introduce a separate bill to ban political fundraising parties. The LDP scandal involves slush funds created through such parties.
