Review of donations from companies and organizations, discussion stagnates; focus on LDP slush fund scandal, opposition party ``weak and weak'', stagnates

Discussions regarding the review of corporate and organizational donations are receding into the background. After the Liberal Democratic Party's slush fund scandal came to light at the end of 2023, it was one of the main topics of discussion in the Diet, but the Japan Restoration Party, which joined the coalition in 2025, has placed emphasis on reducing the number of members of the House of Representatives. The fact that the opposition party suffered a crushing defeat in February's House of Representatives election, leaving the party in a ``weak position'' is also a contributing factor.

House of Representatives special committee deliberates on 3 bills from ruling and opposition parties as review of corporate donations goes parallel

``Is it possible that large corporate donations distort policy?'' At the House of Representatives Special Committee on Political Reform on the 18th, Yuichi Goto of the Centrist Reform Union asked the following question. When Yasushi Katsume of the Liberal Democratic Party responded by saying, ``I want to ensure transparency and conduct proper politics,'' Goto raised his voice and asked, ``Are you serious about regulating corporate donations?''

Regarding the review of donations, the ruling party has submitted a bill to set up a panel of experts in the Diet to discuss what should be done. The Centrist Party and the Democratic Party of Japan have proposed a bill that would limit the receipt of corporate donations to party headquarters and prefectural federations.

The Ishin movement originally called for a complete ban on corporate donations. However, the plan was actually shelved after accepting the Liberal Democratic Party's wishes during coalition talks. In order to implement the party's signature ``self-defeating reforms,'' the special committee wants to quickly process the ruling party's proposal and move on to a discussion on reducing the number of members.

In the opposition parties, the National Participation Party and Team Mirai have proposed a bill that would completely ban it. There is a huge gap between this and the centrist/people's plan. Nakamichi's acting secretary-general, Hiromasa Nakano, said at the special committee, ``We will actively respond to revision discussions,'' but there are no concrete developments in sight.

Opposition parties have positioned the review of corporate donations as a pillar of political reform, but in the face of the huge ruling party, they are starting to feel like they have given up. A senior moderate official said, ``If the opposition parties were united, there would be ways to fight, but they are all fragmented.''