The ruling coalition in Japan, comprising the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito, has proposed the creation of a third-party panel to engage in discussions regarding political donations from corporations and groups. This move is seen as an effort to defer deliberations within the Diet on the possible prohibition of such contributions. The plan to establish this expert panel was announced following a meeting in Tokyo on December 3, where the secretaries-general and committee chairs of the LDP and Komeito reached an agreement on the matter.
The issue of corporate and group donations has garnered increased attention in light of a scandal involving undisclosed political funds within the LDP. Various opposition parties, including the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party), the Japanese Communist Party, and Reiwa Shinsengumi, have voiced their support for banning such donations. Nonetheless, the LDP, which heavily relies on these contributions as a primary source of income, has been hesitant to eliminate the system altogether. Instead of addressing the inclusion of a ban on corporate and group donations in revisions to the Political Fund Control Law during the ongoing extraordinary Diet session, the party aims to postpone the discussion until the following year or later.
According to Tetsushi Sakamoto, chair of the LDP Diet Affairs Committee, the establishment of a third-party organization inclusive of experts is essential to engage in thorough discussions concerning corporate and group donations. Hidemichi Sato, chair of the Komeito Diet Affairs Committee, emphasized the need to consider the varying viewpoints of experts on this issue before coming to a decision. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's recent remarks in the Lower House expressed skepticism towards the idea of abolishing corporate and group donations, stating that he does not perceive such contributions as inherently inappropriate. Despite the LDP's intentions to revise the Political Fund Control Law by the end of the year, opposition parties are likely to push for the inclusion of a ban on corporate and group donations in these revisions.