Current location:Global Gateway news portal > sport
VOX POPULI: Abe faction’s ‘amended’ funds report is simply worthless
Global Gateway news portal2024-05-21 18:46:12【sport】8People have gathered around
IntroductionFor the first time in ages, The Asahi Shimbun on Feb. 1 printed a table of data that ran almost the
For the first time in ages, The Asahi Shimbun on Feb. 1 printed a table of data that ran almost the full length of a page, from top to bottom.
It was a breakdown of an amended version of a political funds income and expenditure report of the Liberal Democratic Party’s Abe faction.
As a general rule, I do not believe in publicizing the trouble someone went through to make a point. But this is a special case, and I want everyone to know how hard my colleagues worked together to compile that table. They had to race against the clock to meet the deadline while poring through pages of documents to enumerate the data.
This had to be done because, in the first place, the “disclosure” made by the Abe faction was only one page long.
All it said was that the faction had failed to report a total of about 670 million yen over the last five years. There was no mention whatsoever of when, or how much, or who among the lawmakers were asked to funnel their fundraiser party revenues into the slush fund.
The words on that sheet of paper--“We apologize from the bottom of our hearts”--could not be more insincere.
Among the names listed on the table compiled by my colleagues based on the revised political funding reports submitted to the government, I noticed that of an Abe faction member who once criticized the “sloppy accounting” by researchers spending the government’s scientific research funding. I also saw the name of someone who has repeatedly preached “morality.”
And yet, the Abe faction has never really explained how it spends money, and senior faction members continue to refuse to talk to the public.
For the stated purpose of clarifying the situation, the LDP on Feb. 2 started interviewing the lawmakers concerned. Yet, the party reportedly keeps objecting every time an opposition party says “slush fund” in the Diet.
But the objection has no leg to stand on. The LDP has not disclosed the flow of political funds in 2018 and 2019, which effectively points to the existence of a slush fund.
Every political funds income and expenditure report is required to be accompanied by an affidavit that says to the effect that everything on the report is true and correct. But in the amended report, the affidavit was crossed out with an X mark.
Should the Abe faction attempt to weasel its way out, the public may well give the LDP a decisively bad rating.
After all, the pen is in the hands of the people.
--The Asahi Shimbun, Feb. 3
* *
*Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
Address of this article:http://rwanda.adventistmissionjapan.org/content-17a399976.html
Very good!(16)
Related articles
- Rangers are undefeated at .500 to keep World Series champs from a losing record with Bochy
- University of Arizona student shot to death at off
- Tesla's stock leaps on reports of Chinese approval of driving software
- Dead infant found at Florida university campus; police investigating
- With Djokovic awaiting the winner, Murray trails Hanfmann at rain
- Posts misrepresent Green Party candidate’s comment on a Jewish homeland
- Cachin receives souvenir from Nadal after losing to the 22
- ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ returns for a ‘nail
- Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. to lead Indianapolis 500 field in Corvette pace car
- IMF approves immediate release of final $1.1 billion tranche of $3 billion bailout to Pakistan
Popular articles
Recommended
The fightback begins: Boss of London's Queen Mary University tells pro
Revealed: Billy Vunipola was TEETOTAL for almost two years
Royals C Salvador Perez scratched from game against Blue Jays because of tight back
Police turn up the heat on 30
Kevin Pillar gets 1,000th career hit in Angels' win at Texas
Billie Eilish announces 'Hit Me Hard and Soft' arena world tour
Irish boxing champ Amy Broadhurst switches to Britain in Paris Olympics bid
Irish boxing champ Amy Broadhurst switches to Britain in Paris Olympics bid
Links
- UN calls for probe into mass graves at Shifa and Nasser hospitals in Gaza
- Another Republican candidate to challenge Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren
- Southwest Airlines flight attendants ratify a contract that will raise pay about 33% over 4 years
- With an assist from the Denver Broncos, Colorado becomes 11th state to sanction girls flag football
- Arkansas panel bans electronic signatures on voter registration forms
- Mbappe nets twice in win over Lorient but PSG's title party delayed by Monaco victory
- China's envoy in Washington urges U.S. to avoid Thucydides Trap in bilateral ties
- PGA Tour players learn how much loyalty is worth in new equity program
- Wednesday casts Thandiwe Newton in highly
- Southwest Airlines flight attendants ratify a contract that will raise pay about 33% over 4 years