Political Reform Committee Was Established

Both Houses of the Diet established special committee for political reform to discuss legislation for regulating inappropriate management of political funds, concerning public distrust on politics generated by the slush fund scandal in factions of Liberal Democratic Party. Although Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, hopes to have a consensus among the parties, it is still unclear whether he can bring the scandal to an end.

Ethics of politics have been discussed in the Diet every time LDP had a major scandal, which includes Lockheed Scandal in 1970s or Recruit Scandal in 1990s. Each House already had a committee for discussing political ethics or appropriate election system. In short, establishing special committee is a routine for the ruling party to show regret on their wrongdoings.

 

One option is to impose heavy penalty on lawmakers who was involved in a scandal. Depriving of the status as Diet member is a focal point of discussion. Not only the opposition parties, but LDP’s coalition partner, Komeito, is also willing to introduce that system with amendment of some related laws. Komeito has been uneasy about criticisms from their supporters on political cooperation with LDP.

 

It is LDP which is still reluctant to change the system. The party revised its internal rule that the party would recommend to leave the party or suspend party membership when the accounting manager was arrested or indicted, and expel or recommend to leave the party when the accounting manager was found guilty in the court. However, most LDP lawmakers complain about legislating it, saying that the penalty of depriving status of lawmaker is too heavy for slush fund scandal.

 

Depriving legislator’s status has already been applied to illegal election campaign. Article 251 of Public Offices Election Act determines that a candidate’s victory in an election will be cancelled when his or her accounting manager is found guilty on crimes such as taking or giving bribe. LDP lawmakers distinguish receiving slush fund from illegal election campaign.

 

Prohibiting donation from company or organization has been discussed for a long time, which has not been concluded. Political Funds Control Act (PFCA) allows companies and organizations donation to each lawmaker’s organization for management of political funds, even though it prohibits direct donation to a lawmaker. LDP has been taken advantage of the system. The opposition parties demand total ban of donation from companies and organizations.

 

LDP has also been controlling “policy activities fund,” which a party can donate political fund to a lawmaker. Policy activities fund does not have an obligation to disclose for what the fund was used. Komeito requires to disclose information on how the fund was used. The opposition parties argue that the fund needs to be abolished to restore transparency of political fund. Nevertheless, LDP is basically negative to abolish or disclose it.

 

Although LDP considers introducing audit system by third party, as well as other parties, the overall reluctancy comes from lack of seriousness among LDP lawmakers, because no opposition party has power to replace LDP as the political leader. There is an aspect in the slush fund scandal that it is an internal power struggle among factions of LDP.

 

However, historically low approval rate for Kishida administration may cause unexpected result in the by-elections later this month or general election of House of Representatives surely be held by the fall 2025 at the latest.