Photo/Illutration Hirofumi Yoshimura, left, leader of Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party), and Sanae Takaichi, president of the Liberal Democratic Party (Asahi Shimbun file photos)

The Japan Innovation Party (Nippon Ishin) is drawing heavy flak from opposition parties for backtracking on its long-held pledge to ban corporate and group political donations in a coalition deal with the Liberal Democratic Party. 

The alliance between the LDP and Nippon Ishin includes a list of policy goals, with deadlines attached for reaching conclusions or submitting legislation, such as “within this year” or “within this fiscal year.” However, the abolition of corporate and group donations was assigned a very odd deadline.

It says the LDP and Nippon Ishin agreed to establish a consultative body and “to reach a conclusion during the term of LDP President Sanae Takaichi.”

Takaichi can serve two years in the post before the next party leadership election is held. Given that there is no guarantee the two-party coalition framework will last that long, Nippon Ishin’s pledge is rendered effectively meaningless.

At a news conference announcing the coalition agreement on Oct. 20, Takaichi made clear her policy priority was to tackle “economic measures first and foremost,” putting the issue of politics and money on the back burner.

Until power was within its grasp, Nippon Ishin adopted a confrontational approach to the LDP on the issue of corporate and group donations. The LDP, which has a long history of money-and-politics scandals, is staunchly opposed to an outright ban and instead proposed “disclosure.”

In March, Nippon Ishin, along with four other opposition parties and groups, jointly submitted a bill to the Diet to prohibit corporate and group donations, apart from those to political organizations.

When the Democratic Party for the People aligned with Komeito--which was then in the ruling coalition with the LDP--on a “measure to strengthen regulations” that presumed the continuation of corporate and group donations, Nippon Ishin strongly criticized the two parties, emphasizing its uncompromising stance on “politics and money.”

But during the coalition negotiations with the LDP, Nippon Ishin quickly reversed its position, putting priority on being part of the coalition.

The other opposition parties expressed outrage with Nippon Ishin for agreeing to the coalition while leaving this issue of political donations ambiguous.

“If nothing moves forward on this, (Nippon Ishin) will end up becoming homogenized with the LDP, despite having raised the banner of reform,” fumed DPP leader Yuichiro Tamaki.

In place of pushing for the abolition of corporate and group donations, the political reform that Nippon Ishin instead raised as an “absolute condition” for forming a coalition with the LDP was a reduction in the number of seats for Lower House members.

The agreement specifies a target of a 10 percent reduction, and states that a bill will be submitted to the extraordinary Diet session beginning on Oct. 21 with the aim of passing it.

However, as the electoral system is rooted in the principles of democracy, the issue will require cumulative discussions between the ruling and opposition parties in the Diet.

For this reason, criticism is also rising from within the LDP.

“Suddenly cutting the number of seats is out of the question,” said Ichiro Aisawa, who chairs the LDP’s Research Commission on the Election System.

Jun Azumi, secretary-general of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, criticized the move, saying: “This is not something to be used as a tool for a coalition. It is something that should be done after listening to the opinions of minority parties as well.”

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