Japan Lower House OKs Political Reform Bills

   Tokyo, Dec. 17 (Jiji Press)--The House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament, approved on Tuesday three political reform bills including one to abolish so-called policy activity expenses, which have been under fire for not requiring disclosure of how they were used.
   The bills were approved at a Lower House plenary meeting by a majority vote with support mainly from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, its coalition partner Komeito, the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and opposition Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party).
   They were soon sent to the House of Councillors, the upper chamber. The bills, which will be debated at the upper chamber's Special Committee on Political Reform from Wednesday, are likely to clear the full Upper House for enactment during the current extraordinary Diet session.
   One of the three bills was submitted by the CDP and six other opposition parties to revise the political funds control law for the abolition of policy activity spending, and another, sponsored by Komeito and the opposition Democratic Party for the People, calls for establishing a third-party organization to oversee spending of political funds.
   The remaining bill, submitted by the LDP, is for banning foreign nationals from purchasing fundraising party tickets and for creating a database for political fund reports.

(2024/12/17-18:32)