With money scandals marring the image of lawmakers, the Diet passed a bill Friday to increase the transparency of political funding by obliging them to disclose all expenses other than salaries.
Political analysts credit a divided Diet for the step forward. With the Upper House now controlled by the opposition, the Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling bloc no longer has a free hand to make merely cosmetic changes to a loophole-filled funds law.
The revised Political Funds Control Law was approved by all of parties except the Japanese Communist Party and will take effect on Jan. 1.
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