ID :
110574
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 06:54
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/110574
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Keidanren to cease role in political donations+
TOKYO, March 8 Kyodo -
The Japan Business Federation, the country's most influential business lobby,
will end its involvement in corporate donations by its members to political
parties, its chairman said Monday.
The federation had released annual assessments of the policies and achievements
of political parties to serve as a guideline for corporate donations. But the
practice ''no longer meets the needs of the times,'' Fujio Mitarai, the head of
the federation better known as Nippon Keidanren, said at a press conference.
Political donations by businesses and groups are ''social contributions'' and
so should be given on a voluntary basis, he added.
The federation's decision follows the landslide general election victory last
summer of the Democratic Party of Japan, which said it would end corporate
donations in its election manifesto.
The Federation of Economic Organizations, the precursor to Keidanren, stopped
arranging political donations for companies and industry groups in 1993.
To regain political influence, however, Keidanren began annual assessments of
the policies and achievements of political parties in 2004 to offer a guideline
to member firms for political donations.
The move is expected to cut political donations by companies amid mounting
public criticism over the issue of money and politics.
Donations by Keidanren member firms in 2008 totaled around 100 million yen for
the DPJ and about 2.7 billion yen for the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party,
which was ousted from power in the election last August.
It is ''unreasonable'' to assess the policies of ruling and opposition parties
''on the same table,'' Mitarai, chairman of Canon Inc., said.
Keidanren, which represents major companies and industry groups, will introduce
a system to examine how many of its proposals and opinions have been put into
practice, he added, stressing that the federation will reinforce its presence.
Mitarai, who will be replaced by Sumitomo Chemical Co. Chairman Hiromasa
Yonekura as Keidanren head in late May, also said the federation will study
political donations by individuals in the United States and other countries,
and make proposals to the government for promoting the practice in Japan.
==Kyodo
The Japan Business Federation, the country's most influential business lobby,
will end its involvement in corporate donations by its members to political
parties, its chairman said Monday.
The federation had released annual assessments of the policies and achievements
of political parties to serve as a guideline for corporate donations. But the
practice ''no longer meets the needs of the times,'' Fujio Mitarai, the head of
the federation better known as Nippon Keidanren, said at a press conference.
Political donations by businesses and groups are ''social contributions'' and
so should be given on a voluntary basis, he added.
The federation's decision follows the landslide general election victory last
summer of the Democratic Party of Japan, which said it would end corporate
donations in its election manifesto.
The Federation of Economic Organizations, the precursor to Keidanren, stopped
arranging political donations for companies and industry groups in 1993.
To regain political influence, however, Keidanren began annual assessments of
the policies and achievements of political parties in 2004 to offer a guideline
to member firms for political donations.
The move is expected to cut political donations by companies amid mounting
public criticism over the issue of money and politics.
Donations by Keidanren member firms in 2008 totaled around 100 million yen for
the DPJ and about 2.7 billion yen for the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party,
which was ousted from power in the election last August.
It is ''unreasonable'' to assess the policies of ruling and opposition parties
''on the same table,'' Mitarai, chairman of Canon Inc., said.
Keidanren, which represents major companies and industry groups, will introduce
a system to examine how many of its proposals and opinions have been put into
practice, he added, stressing that the federation will reinforce its presence.
Mitarai, who will be replaced by Sumitomo Chemical Co. Chairman Hiromasa
Yonekura as Keidanren head in late May, also said the federation will study
political donations by individuals in the United States and other countries,
and make proposals to the government for promoting the practice in Japan.
==Kyodo
