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LDP Agrees to Abolish Political Funds, Proposes Database, Faces Opposition on Corporate Donations

Nov 21, 2024, 11:08 AM

Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has agreed in principle to a political reform proposal that includes the abolition of political activity expense funds. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has stated that the party has reached a consensus on the abolition of these funds, which have been criticized for their lack of transparency. The proposal also aims to enhance the transparency of political funding by establishing a database for political fund reports. Additionally, the LDP plans to ban foreign individuals and foreign corporations from purchasing political party tickets. However, the LDP has not agreed to ban corporate and organizational donations, which remains a contentious issue in the upcoming discussions with opposition parties during the extraordinary session of the Diet. The reform is part of a broader effort to revise the Political Funds Control Act before the end of the year, following a scandal involving secret funds within the party.