Japan’s LDP Calls For Ending Political Activity Expense Funds; Seeks To Coordinate Reform Proposal With Opposition

The Yomiuri Shimbun

21:00 JST, November 20, 2024

The Liberal Democratic Party plans to propose the abolition of political activity funds that are given to individual lawmakers by parties, according to the party’s draft proposal on political reform, compiled to revise the Political Funds Control Law.

The proposal includes a ban on foreigners purchasing political fundraising party tickets. The LDP aims to pass the revision bill in the extraordinary Diet session to be convened on Nov. 28.

An executive meeting of the LDP’s political reform headquarters was held on Tuesday, and the preparation of the proposal was entrusted to Kisaburo Tokai, the party’s former Policy Research Council chairman, who leads the headquarters. A meeting of LDP lawmakers is to be held as early as Thursday to seek consensus.

The political reform proposal includes a ban on foreign nationals and foreign corporations buying the party tickets, and penalties are being considered. Since the political organizations are already prohibited from accepting donations from foreigners, the proposal would reinforce measures to eliminate foreign influence in Japanese politics.

The proposal calls for the political activity funds to be legally abolished and states that the LDP will promote transparency in its own expenditure.

The LDP had proposed “the future abolition” of political activity funds in its manifesto during the election for the House of Representatives held last month, but has now aligned itself with other parties calling for the funds’ abolition.

According to the proposal, a third-party organization to oversee political funds will be set up “as soon as possible,” and the organization will “basically be established in the Diet.” As Komeito proposes the organization be established under an administrative authority, the issue is likely to become a focus of debate.

The introduction of a measure to suspend public subsidies to a party if a lawmaker of that party violates the Political Funds Control Law, as well as a system in which citizens will have easy access to political funds reports via an online database are also included in the proposal.

It does not mention abolishing donations from companies and organizations.

The secretaries general and other officials of the LDP and Komeito met in Tokyo on Tuesday, and agreed to call opposition parties for discussions on political reform.

They plan to ask the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the Japan Innovation Party, the Democratic Party for the People, Reiwa Shinsengumi and the Japanese Communist Party to participate, hoping to hold the first meeting as early as this week.