JCP’s political funding comes from grassroots support

[Die Neue Zeit]

http://www.jcp.or.jp/english/jps_2011/20101201_03.html



The government on November 30 published a report on political funds for 2009 for each political party and political organization. Japanese Communist Party Finance and Management Committee Director Ueda Hitoshi on the same day issued a comment on the JCP financial report as follows:

The JCP in 2009 earned about 24.62 billion yen in total (1.4 percentage points lower than last year) and spent about 25.22 billion yen in total (0.9 percentage points higher).

The increase in expenditures was associated with the general election that took place in 2009. The income drop was attributed to a decrease in Akahata subscribers, party membership dues, and contributions from individuals reflecting the sluggish economic situation under which more people had a hard time making ends meet.

Business activities in relation to the publication of Akahata and other journals and magazines accounted for 87 percent of the JCP income and 63.8 percent of its total expenditures.

The majority of the JCP business activities were based on Akahata. This shows that the JCP has a strong bond with the general public at the grassroots level.

The JCP does not accept political donations from corporations and other organizations as these tend to be donations used to buy or influence policies. The party also refuses to receive the government subsidy funded by tax revenues because this practice violates the Constitution guaranteeing freedom of thought.

Instead, the party makes efforts to manage its financial activities with money from party members and supporters in such forms as membership dues, sales of Akahata and other publications, and political donations from individuals.

Revenue of political parties: JCP (about 24.62 billion yen), LDP (about 19.73 billion yen, of which gov’t subsidy accounts for 70.9%), DPJ (about 16.3 billion yen, 83.8%), Komei (about 13.51 billion yen, 19.4%), SDP (about 1.78 billion yen, 50%), PNP (about 1.2 billion yen, 34.9%), and Your (about 253 million yen, 44.9%).

- Akahata, December 1, 2010

[FreeFocus]

Revenue of political parties: JCP (about 24.62 billion yen), LDP (about 19.73 billion yen, of which gov’t subsidy accounts for 70.9%), DPJ (about 16.3 billion yen, 83.8%), Komei (about 13.51 billion yen, 19.4%), SDP (about 1.78 billion yen, 50%), PNP (about 1.2 billion yen, 34.9%), and Your (about 253 million yen, 44.9%).

How is it possible that the LDP, the largest/most powerful political party in Japan, has less funding than the JCP? Unless they're making a distinction between funding and revenue in compiling these figures.

My understanding is that the JCP is a social democratic party at best. Nonetheless it is good to see some type of leftist activity in Japan. I like that they advocate ending the American military presence in Japan and issuing official apologies for Japanese crimes during WWII.

[Rooster]

I'm only getting this from third hand accounts but from what I'm hearing, the JCP acts as mediator between the workers and the ruling class but the overly feeling amongst the people in Japan is for social unity.

[Tommy4ever]

Is the JCP really that large? I thought they only polled around 10% in elections. If that is true how can they possibly have the greatest revenues of any parties?

[Rooster]

Is the JCP really that large? I thought they only polled around 10% in elections. If that is true how can they possibly have the greatest revenues of any parties?

I'm certain it's through union members fees.

[KurtFF8]

From what I understand, the JCP has always been quite popular in Japan. I'm not too familiar with them, however.

[Die Neue Zeit]

The JCP is the first left-reformist or bourgeois workers party to make good inroads re. political work in the growing demographic that is the precariat, including casual labour. I'd like to know if there are any "working poor" unions in Japan, and if they're affiliated with the JCP. Here are two good reads:

Working on the Margins: Japan's Precariat and Working Poor (http://www.japanesestudies.org.uk/discussionpapers/2009/Obinger.html)
Communism on rise in recession-hit Japan (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8027397.stm)


I'm certain it's through union members fees.

Anyone can feel free to correct me if I'm wrong here, but doesn't the JCP have a few unions affiliated with the party in a similar manner to British Labour's unions?

http://www.suite101.com/content/how-does-the-uk-labour-party-elect-a-new-leader-a235765


The Bennite left in the Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) pushed for fundamental reform in the Labour Party's internal democratic structures, calling for a role for Labour Party activists and for the trade unions in the selection of the party's leader and deputy leader. What was established was an electoral college, within which different sections of the party would have a proportion of the overall vote.

Calls for "One Member One Vote" were resisted at this time, partly because of the Parliamentary Labour Party's (PLP) right wing wishing to defend a substantial input from MPs, and partly from the argument that there were many more trade union members, paying their political levy to the Labour Party, than there were Labour Party members.

Debates raged over the proportions for each section in the electoral college. Initially the trade unions were given the largest slice of the cake, reflecting their larger membership (40, 30, 30), but the eventual decision was 33% each to the PLP, the CLPs and the affiliates (trade unions).

Another well-defined, *non-overlapping* constituency associations "affiliate" for the JCP could be an association for party members who are pensioners.

[scarletghoul]

Anyone have some recent opinion polls or election results ?

[DaringMehring]

Yes they took 6.1% in the 2010 elections, and lost one seat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_House_of_Councillors_election,_2010)

[bailey_187]

Is the JCP really that large? I thought they only polled around 10% in elections.

Getting 10% of the electorate to vote for a party with "Communist" in their name after 1991 is a pretty good acheivment

[DaringMehring]

The JCP didn't toe the Moscow line. They even said that when the USSR collapsed it was a victory. So they weren't affected by 1991 really...

[bailey_187]

The JCP didn't toe the Moscow line. They even said that when the USSR collapsed it was a victory. So they weren't affected by 1991 really...

i find it hard to beleive they wernt affected. The SWP celebrated the collapse, but they, and most socialist groups had a decline in the 90s.

[Q]

How is it possible that the LDP, the largest/most powerful political party in Japan, has less funding than the JCP?

I don't know about the JCP, but the it is a well established fact that the Dutch SP is also the "richest party" in the Netherlands. However, in contrast to what is reported in the OP about the JCP, most income for the SP comes from the parliament faction (a Dutch parliamentarian gets about 6500 euro's a month, SP MP's only take 2000 and donate the rest to the party. It should be noted that this is barely politically motivated, don't expect to hear a lot of "workers wage" rethoric from them).

Papersales haven't been done in decades, the Tribune these days is mostly a magazine that is just read by party members (who get it for free). Likewise, member dues are at 20 euro's a year also rather low. The membership numbers of this year haven't been released yet, but I expect it to be at around 45 000, which makes the income out of dues just 900 000 euro's. To compare: Their parliament faction of 15 members donates almost the same amount. Besides this there are also senators that donate a similar amount and all provincial parliament and municipal council members work for free and donate all money to the party (this differs per municipality, but is between 250 and 900 euro's a month per councillor).

Also, in contrast to the JCP, the SP does accept state subsidies. If I'm getting the rules right, this is about 1.6 million euro's currently. Business donations are less common, given the leftwing programme of the party, but they did boast a multi-millionaire member, media-mogul Derk Sauer.

[KurtFF8]

i find it hard to beleive they wernt affected. The SWP celebrated the collapse, but they, and most socialist groups had a decline in the 90s.

Actually, from what I've heard from some folks who lived in Japan, the JCP was one of the few "western" CPs that was effectively unaffected by the fall of the USSR.

[Demogorgon]

How is it possible that the LDP, the largest/most powerful political party in Japan, has less funding than the JCP? Unless they're making a distinction between funding and revenue in compiling these figures.

My understanding is that the JCP is a social democratic party at best. Nonetheless it is good to see some type of leftist activity in Japan. I like that they advocate ending the American military presence in Japan and issuing official apologies for Japanese crimes during WWII.
The LDP organises a lot of its activities through different factions and also candidates doing their own fundraising, so that wouldn't be included in the party's total income.

[x359594]

Actually, from what I've heard from some folks who lived in Japan, the JCP was one of the few "western" CPs that was effectively unaffected by the fall of the USSR.

That's right. The JCP somehow managed to steer an independent course between the Soviet Party and the PRC party.

[Die Neue Zeit]

I don't know about the JCP, but the it is a well established fact that the Dutch SP is also the "richest party" in the Netherlands. However, in contrast to what is reported in the OP about the JCP, most income for the SP comes from the parliament faction (a Dutch parliamentarian gets about 6500 euro's a month, SP MP's only take 2000 and donate the rest to the party. It should be noted that this is barely politically motivated, don't expect to hear a lot of "workers wage" rhetoric from them).

There are other political motivations. What if these "donations" are made out of "money buys policy"? That would be my first suspicion if the party bureaucracy outside the parliament faction has no recall power of the latter.


Also, in contrast to the JCP, the SP does accept state subsidies. If I'm getting the rules right, this is about 1.6 million euro's currently. Business donations are less common, given the leftwing programme of the party, but they did boast a multi-millionaire member, media-mogul Derk Sauer.

And no union affiliations, especially of the precariat?