The Democratic Party of Japan has decided to partially resume receiving political donations from firms and other private-sector organizations. This decision will hurt the DPJ's efforts to portray itself as a clean political party. It will also give opposition parties an excuse to accuse the party of inconsistency on the issue of political funds.
On March 17, 2009, then DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa proposed revising the political funds control law to totally ban political donations from firms and other organizations. Because his chief secretary had been arrested two weeks before on suspicion of having received illegal funds from Nishimatsu Construction Co., some political parties were critical of Mr. Ozawa's proposal. The Liberal Democratic Party was upset because it heavily relies on donations from firms and because its opposition to the ban would invite criticism from the public.
The DPJ included the ban and a provisional step in its election manifesto for the August 2009 Lower House election. To show consistency with the manifesto, the DPJ, after the election, stopped receiving donations from firms that have won a public works project worth ¥100 million or more until the law is revised. Earlier this year, it decided to refrain from receiving donations from all firms.