A Lower House committee agreed on Tuesday to debate three bills revising the rules on corporate and group political donations on Nov 13, putting the funding question ahead of a rival push to cut the number of Lower House seats.
The agreement came at a meeting of senior members of the special committee on political reform. The Liberal Democratic Party, the Japan Innovation Party and the Democratic Party for the People plan to submit a seat-reduction bill soon and sought an early start to debate. The parties will keep discussing that request.
The funding bills were submitted by ruling and opposition parties. The Democratic Party for the People argues they should be debated first, while the Innovation Party, which puts seat cuts first, has voiced dissatisfaction.
DPP leader Yuichiro Tamaki told a news conference on Tuesday that he had no intention of blocking passage of an electoral reform bill in the current Diet session. He added that the political funding issue was not something that could simply be set aside.
“I have not the slightest intention of preventing an electoral system reform bill from passing in the current Diet session.”Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People
“The political funding problem is not a matter of setting it aside and being done with it.”Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People