In Monday's kickoff of political reform talks, the opposition slammed the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's position of maintaining corporate and group donations with greater transparency, though opposition parties were divided over whether to restrict or ban such contributions.
It cast uncertainty over Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s hopes of reaching a consensus within the month to rehabilitate the LDP’s scandal-tainted reputation ahead of Upper House elections this summer.
The LDP, by far the largest recipient of corporate and group donations — it raked in approximately ¥2.3 billion ($15.6 million) last year, or 10% of its income — has advocated for “transparency over prohibition.”
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