Opposition forces jointly submitted a bill to parliament on Monday to revise the political funds control law in the wake of a slush fund scandal involving the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
The bill was submitted to the House of Representatives, the parliament’s lower chamber, by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), the Democratic Party for the People (DPP) and parliamentary group Yushi no Kai.
The legislation calls for the introduction of a guilt-by-association system featuring stricter rules for lawmakers over violations of the law and a ban on so-called policy activity funds provided by political parties to member lawmakers.
The CDP, DPP and Yushi no Kai position the legislation as a counterproposal to the LDP’s bill submitted Friday to revise the law. The LDP’s version seeks to continue to allow policy activity funds to be provided with certain disclosure rules.
Under the opposition groups’ bill, lawmakers themselves will be required to make political funds statements and their civil rights will be suspended if they are found guilty of violations.
Their bill also calls for efforts to reduce state subsidies to political parties if member lawmakers are indicted and establish a third-party parliamentary body in charge of overseeing political funds.
The CDP also plans to submit a separate bill to ban political fundraising parties. The LDP scandal involves slush funds created through such parties.