Secret Fund for Excluded Candidates

Shimbun Akahata, a daily newspaper of Japan Communist Party, reported that the Liberal Democratic Party had provided with political fund to some branches in electoral districts, which were represented by candidates who were excluded from LDP slate as penalty for being involved in the slush fund scandal. The candidates can spend the fund for their campaign, in spite of the fact that they do not have official endorsement from the LDP. While pretending to impose heavy penalty on the members in scandal, the LDP has been financially supporting them in backstage.

The LDP has its local branch in each single-seat constituency all over Japan, which head is regularly the candidates in election of the House of Representatives. This branch is different from that in each prefecture. Under the leadership of new president, and Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, the party decided not to issue its official endorsement to twelve members just before the beginning of campaign. It was a demonstration for the party to show their seriousness against illegal use of political fund.

 

Three out of those twelve stand down as candidates in the election. The rest of nine ran for the election as independent candidates. According to Akahata, eight candidates are still the heads of branches of LDP in electoral districts. Once the party funds the branches, the heads can use it for their campaign. It depends on the decision of the head how to use it. Akahata argues that the funds provided are appropriated from national budget, which is made of taxed money.

 

According to the documents Akahata obtained, the LDP explained about the substance of the fund. The party sent 20 million yen to each branch. 5 million yen out of total 20 million was allowance for endorsement in election, and 15 million yen was for ordinary political activities. 

 

The LDP Secretary General, Hiroshi Moriyama, explained that the fund was distributed to the branches for their activities to enlarge political activities. But the opposition parties accused the LDP of its no regret on the slush fund scandal. “This is a significant fraud, isn’t it? They called the penalty severe measure. Isn’t it unbelievable administration of liars?” said the head of Constitutional Democratic Party, Yoshihiko Noda. The Head of Secretariat of Japan Communist Party, Akira Koike, said that the LDP could not say the money was not for candidates but branches.

 

The polls of news organizations show slow down of LDP campaign, as the voters has growingly been interested in political reform and how political funds was used. It is unclear whether the leading coalition by LDP and Komeito can maintain its majority in the House. Ishiba has indicated a possibility of adding those independent candidates, who had been dropped from official endorsement, to the LDP’s slate after the election. But Ishiba’s indecisive attitude toward the members relating to scandal is causing further public skepticisms against the LDP.

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