Business circle gives ratings for LDP and DPJ

The Japan Business Federation (JBF) on January 28 issued a "report card" giving two major parties ratings to be used as a reference for corporate political donations which will be resumed after a decade of suspension.
The JBF rated the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), which are willing to accept political donations from corporations, based on the extent to which these parties are ready to work in support of the policy priorities set by the JBF.

Giving 85 points out of 100 for the LDP and under 50 for the DPJ, JBF Chairman Okuda Hiroshi said he wants to see the two parties further compete with each other to accommodate the JBF expectations.

Asked by reporters to comment on the "report card" on the same day, Japanese Communist Party Executive Committee Chair Shii Kazuo said, "If such a money-for-policies approach can go unchallenged, Japan's democracy will face a serious crisis.

Shii demanded that the JBF stop attempting to buy politics and cautioned the DPJ not to sell itself out to the business world.

"The JBF gave the LDP and the DPJ high marks for calling for a consumption tax rate increase. It shows how harmful the buying of policies is to the general public," Shii said.

Shii also said, "The DPJ intends to rely on corporate donations for its policymaking think-tank's running expenses. Thus DPJ policies will be under the control of the business world."

Pointing out that corporations used to provide political donations to maintain the "free market economy" and that the business world now donates money to buy policies, Shii expressed his determination to block such a direct control of politics by business circles.