Photo/Illutration Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks at a meeting of the Liberal Democratic Party’s political reform task force in Tokyo on Jan. 22. (Takeshi Iwashita)

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s political reform task force is recommending drastic overhaul of party factions and banning them from holding fund-raising events, according to an outline released on Jan. 22.

The outline proposed the party “dissolve so-called ‘factions’ and move toward true ‘policy groups.’”

“A key is for the policy groups to completely break away from ‘money’ and ‘personnel,’” the outline said.

By “personnel,” the task force meant the new groups would be prohibited from pressuring LDP prime ministers to appoint group members as Cabinet ministers or party executives.

The political reform task force was set up in response to a political funding scandal related to fund-raisers that has embroiled LDP factions.

According to the outline, the LDP will prohibit the policy groups from holding meetings at offices outside LDP headquarters.

If a policy group is found to be engaged in an illegal activity, the LDP will investigate and ask the group to suspend activities or to disband.

In the faction funding scandal, a number of people have been indicted on charges of violating the Political Fund Control Law, but no big-name lawmakers have been charged.

As part of measures for “thorough transparency of political funds,” the outline calls for stricter disciplinary measures against Diet members who have been accused of political corruption.

The LDP will introduce a “guilt-by-association” system. If a treasurer is found guilty of a crime, the related legislator will also face punishment.

To prevent shady handovers of cash, the party will require individual politicians to make bank transfers of income gained from fund-raising parties hosted by their organizations.

The LDP will also promote online submissions of income and expenditure reports.

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