The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has approved proposals to hold lawmakers accountable for illegal actions committed by their staff members. These measures, intended to strengthen party discipline, have been met with skepticism within the party, with some calling them mere "window dressing."
The proposed changes include disciplinary actions against lawmakers whose staff members are indicted or convicted of violating the Political Fund Control Law. The revised Party Discipline Rules would allow the LDP to recommend a lawmaker's expulsion or suspension if their staff member is arrested or indicted. Upon conviction, the lawmaker could face dismissal from the party.
However, the proposals lack clear guidelines for determining a lawmaker's involvement in their staff's illegal actions. This has raised concerns that lawmakers could evade punishment by simply denying involvement, as some members of the Abe faction did in a recent scandal.
Additionally, the proposals include conditions that make it difficult to dismiss a lawmaker from the party. The lawmaker must be found to have been "involved" in the illegal action, but the definition of "involvement" remains unclear.
The LDP's governance code will also be revised to ban factions that exert influence through money and personnel matters. "Policy groups" will be permitted, but they will be prohibited from holding fund-raising parties and must have their political fund reports audited by an external party.
These changes give the party president and secretary-general greater power over personnel decisions, raising concerns about the potential for increased centralization of authority within the LDP.