Ozawa’s fundraiser makes his commitment to prohibit corporate donations doubtful

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Ozawa’s fundraiser makes his commitment to prohibit corporate donations doubtful

Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ozawa Ichiro on October 30 held a fund-raising party in a Tokyo hotel. The price for a ticket to the party was 20,000 yen.

The DPJ in the August general election pledged to prohibit corporations from making political donations, including fundraiser ticket purchases. The party hosted by Ozawa contradicts this promise.

A study group called “Ozawa Ichiro Seikei Kenkyukai” was the sponsor, and the head of this political organization used to be Ozawa’s secretary who was arrested in March for illegally accepting donations from a construction company. Each time, about 300 people take part in parties of this kind. In 2008, the group held four parties and earned 63.5 million yen, but keeps hidden the names of corporations or organizations representing corporate interests that bought tickets for the fund-raising parties.

The DPJ in June submitted to the Diet a bill to enforce a total ban on political donations, including the purchase of fund-raising party tickets, from corporations and related organizations from 2012. During the August general election, it also inserted this policy into its Manifesto. Ozawa himself was the one who repeated this promise in the wake of severe public criticism of his involvement in a corruption scandal.

- Akahata, October 29, 2009