LDP puts the brakes on money-and-politics reform

The proposed tougher rules on corporate contributions to politicians are, predictably, being derailed. After a series of scandals in which Diet members were found to have taken backhanders in return for their influence in awarding public works contracts, debate had begun on more stringent controls.

Now, however, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's ironically-named Council on Political System Reform is putting on the brakes. For example, its April 8 proposal sets the yearly limit for contributions from a single company at JPY1.5 million--but only if the company derives more than 50% of its sales from public works. The plan originally had been to make no distinction. Companies with no public works involvement will be subject to the same regulations as currently--a yearly limit of between JPY7.5 and JPY100 million depending on the scale of the enterprise.

Far worse, however, is the plan to increase the level above which contributors' names are disclosed to JPY240,000-300,000 from the current JPY50,000. This could actually mean an increase in the amount of money that politicians pocket, given that larger sums will slip under the disclosure requirement.

The move is certain to draw fire from the opposition parties, who are pushing for more transparency. It will also confirm to the public that politicians are seeking to feather their own beds while leaving the populace to sleep on the bare boards. The housecleaning of Japanese politics, like that of its corporate sector, is proceeding in dribs and drabs, with high-profile "bankruptcies" here and there in both sectors taken as reassurance that things are getting better, while the smaller fry, just as rotten, go unnoticed.

Link to the Nikkei article, 'ce'a3'dc'88'dcK
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