Political donations must end, not be increased -- Akahata editorial, June 15 (excerpts)

Prohibiting political parties from receiving corporate donations is a matter of urgency in the wake of the revelations of a number of scandals involving influence-buying money.

We must not overlook the calls for easing restrictions on political donations for both donors and recipients.

The Japan Business Federation has decided to resume selective corporate donations to political parties that have policies in the interests of large corporations.

This is more than just an attempt to resume the system of arranging corporate donations for parties, a system which the federation's predecessor Japan Keidanren ended 10 years ago because it would publicly seek to increase corporate clout over government policies.

The ruling Liberal Democratic, Komei, and New Conservative parties have agreed to raise the upper limit of donations which corporations can make without their names being disclosed to 240,000 yen (2,050 dollars) from the present 50,000 yen (427 dollars). The Komei Party, which in the past was opposed to the non-disclosure privilege, now says it agrees to the change on the grounds that their party is part of the coalition government.

These adverse moves show that both donors and recipients lack any self-examination of political corruption. All the parties that seek to take more corporate money in donations also take tax money in subsidies for political parties. They do not care for the well-being of the working people who are suffering from the prolonged economic recession.

As both givers and takers of political donations are reluctant to end political corruption, it is necessary to heighten public opinion and increase the movement to stop the attempt to allow corporations to give more money to political parties and completely ban corporate donations. (end)