Hatoyama hopes to ban corporate donations during current Diet session+

TOKYO, March 4 Kyodo -
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama expressed strong hope Thursday of amending the
Political Funds Control Law during the current parliamentary session to ban
donations from corporations and other organizations.
''I hope a conclusion (on the matter) will be drawn during the ordinary Diet
session'' through June 16, he told the House of Councillors Budget Committee,
adding that a consultation body should be set up among the ruling and
opposition parties to explore the issue.
The secretaries general of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan and its two
junior coalition partners agreed later in the day to set up the panel and to
urge the opposition to join it, lawmakers said.
But it remains unclear whether the panel can in fact be established given
opposition by the People's New Party, one of the junior partners, to banning
corporate donations. The main opposition Liberal Democratic Party also opposes
the idea.
Hatoyama also indicated the same day he will sound out Chiyomi Kobayashi, a
scandal-tainted DPJ lawmaker, about the possibility of her appearance before
the House of Representatives Deliberative Council on Political Ethics about the
scandal.
The lower house member, who like Hatoyama represents a district in Hokkaido,
has drawn fire over the arrest of four people in connection with alleged
illegal donations to her office.
''Her will is important,'' the prime minister said during a meeting of the
upper house panel. ''I can confirm with her about her will.''
On the establishment of an interparty consultation panel, Hatoyama indicated
that legal changes should be explored to toughen rules on lawmakers as
supervisors of their secretaries and people in charge of accounting.
''I hope each party will discuss how we can ensure making clearer the
responsibilities of politicians themselves,'' he told the budget panel.
Hatoyama's eagerness to seek a ban on corporate contributions comes at a time
when the LDP and other opposition parties have been grilling the DPJ-led
coalition government over funding scandals in which DPJ lawmakers have been
embroiled, such as the prime minister himself and DPJ Secretary General Ichiro
Ozawa.
At a meeting, Ozawa proposed to his counterparts, the SDP's Yasumasa Shigeno
and Shozaburo Jimi of the PNP, that a foundation be established to ban
contributions from corporations and other organizations. The two agreed to the
plan, according to the participants.
During a one-on-one parliamentary debate with New Komeito chief Natsuo
Yamaguchi in mid-February, Hatoyama said, ''The DPJ will make efforts to reach
a final draft,'' agreeing with the opposition party's initiative to set up a
consultation panel to discuss legislative changes.
==Kyodo