Japan Politics: LDP To Present Political Reform Plan This Week

Liberal Democratic Party, LDP to present political reform plan later this week, according to official statements.

The Liberal Democratic Party will speed up discussions with its junior coalition partner, Komeito, and deliver its own plan for political change this week, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a parliamentary committee hearing on Monday.

Days before a critical round of by-elections that could affect the government’s fortunes, the LDP — which is dealing with a political funds scandal that has rocked the party — will lay the groundwork for an amendment to the political funds control law in the current session of parliament, which is set to end June 23.

What Kishida Had To Say

“I’ll persevere in my endeavors toward political reform, bearing in mind the importance of ensuring transparency to citizens on political funding,” Kishida, who also serves as LDP president, told the committee, reiterating his commitment to a legal change.

With a newly formed committee due to begin debating an overhaul of political funding restrictions by the end of the month, the LDP is under increasing pressure to propose its own reform strategy.

While ruling coalition talks began last week, Komeito officials have recently issued thinly veiled requests that the LDP hasten internal discussions and develop its own strategy before agreeing to a combined proposal.

Komeito’s Opinion About The Reform

Komeito, one of the first parties to submit its own proposal for political reform, has become exceptionally vociferous about the issue. “Can we really say that you are taking the lead in addressing this issue?” Kazuyoshi Akaba, a Komeito Lower House MP, asked Kishida during Monday’s meeting. “If you are genuinely committed to achieving political reform, I think the LDP should present its proposal immediately.”

The LDP first chose to seek a deal with Komeito on a single proposal rather than develop its own approach.

However, with increasing mistrust from Komeito and strong criticism from opposition parties, the party decided to finish internal debates and propose its own program while continuing talks with its junior coalition partner. At a recent party convention, the LDP approved a change to internal regulations that allows the party to formally demand that a lawmaker depart if the accountant of an affiliated political group is jailed.

With this in mind, Kishida reiterated that the party’s reform blueprint will be built on three major pillars: stricter punishments for lawmakers involved in any legal infringement, tougher external scrutiny of political group finances, and the implementation of digital tools to increase political funding transparency.

LDP To Present Political Reform Plan – What Is The Aim Behind It?

On the contentious topic of standards governing so-called funds for political activities — sums received by MPs from party executives to undertake various political activities with no legal duty to disclose on their use — Kishida stated that the LDP is willing to talk with other parties.

In 2022, LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi received about ¥970 million (roughly $7.4 million at the 2022 exchange rate) from the party, according to internal affairs ministry records.

While the LDP and Komeito appear to agree on other political funding concerns, there appears to be a greater separation on this particular topic.

Komeito’s plan contains procedures for disclosing the utilization of this money and returning unused portions to the state. Meanwhile, since the start of the debate, the LDP has looked leery of any big reform, citing concerns that it may limit MPs’ political independence.