DPJ changes donation policy
(From The Japan Times October 29 issue)

民主党の企業献金受け入れ再開

The Democratic Party of Japan has decided to partially resume receiving political donations from firms and other private-sector organizations. This decision will hurt the DPJ's efforts to portray itself as a clean political party. It will also give opposition parties an excuse to accuse the party of inconsistency on the issue of political funds.

On March 17, 2009, then DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa proposed revising the political funds control law to ban political donations from firms and other organizations. Because his chief secretary had been arrested two weeks before on suspicion of having received illegal funds from Nishimatsu Construction Co., some political parties were critical of Mr. Ozawa's proposal. The Liberal Democratic Party was upset because it heavily relies on donations from firms and because its opposition to the ban would invite criticism from the public.

The DPJ included the ban and a provisional step in its manifesto for the August 2009 Lower House election. To show consistency with the manifesto, the DPJ, after the election, stopped receiving donations from firms that have won a public works project worth ¥100 million or more until the law is revised. Earlier this year, it decided to refrain from receiving donations from all firms.

But Oct. 26, DPJ Secretary General Katsuya Okada announced that the DPJ will start receiving donations from firms if they have not won a public works project worth ¥100 million or more and from other socially acceptable organizations. This is because the DPJ faces difficulty in getting donations from individuals. Another factor is the stalemate in the talks between the DPJ and opposition parties on the law's revision.

Mr. Ozawa's proposal was meaningful because it would have helped prevent collusive ties from developing anew between political parties and private-sector organizations. The DPJ leadership clearly has chosen expediency over principle. The decision also shows that Mr. Okada and other DPJ executives do not know how to get the edge on the opposition in a divided Diet that is making it tough for the DPJ to maneuver.

民主党は企業･団体献金受け入れの再開を決めた。目指していたクリーンな党の印象は崩れ、その一貫性のなさは野党の非難を呼ぶだろう。

昨年春に当時の小沢代表は企業･団体献金を禁ずるため政治資金規正法の改正を唱えたが、代表側への西松建設からの巨額献金事件が明るみに出た直後で、同案への批判は強かった。

民主党は昨年の衆院選マニフェストで企業･団体献金全廃を打ち出し、当面、国や自治体との公共事業受注契約が１件１億円以上の企業からの献金が禁止となり、今年1月以降は企業献金全般の受け取りを自粛した。

しかし先月、岡田幹事長は公共事業受注契約が１億円未満の企業･団体から献金を認めると発表した。個人献金が見込めないこと、与野党の法改正論議が進んでいないことなどが理由だ。

小沢氏の提案は、政党と経済界の癒着を防ぐ意義あるものだ。今回の決断はご都合主義であり、ねじれ国会での岡田氏と党執行部の野党に体する力不足を表している。