Japan Parties Widely Divided over Corporate Donations

Tokyo, Dec. 12 (Jiji Press)--Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and opposition parties were widely divided Thursday over whether to ban donations from companies and organizations to political parties, a key issue in revising the political funds control law again.

The Political Reform Special Committee at the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, the country's parliament, started substantial deliberations on a total of nine bills to revise the law that have been submitted by parties.

At this point, there is no prospect of any bill securing a majority. At issue is whether parties can compromise with each other and reach an agreement.

On corporate and group donations, Ken Saito of the LDP emphasized their significance by recounting his experience of being supported by local companies when he lost an election.

Hiroshi Ogushi of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan claimed that "trust in politics has been greatly damaged due to a high-profile slush fund scandal at the LDP."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]