Nearly defunct CRA receives ¥584 million in state subsidies

The internal affairs ministry on Tuesday distributed the third installment of state subsidies for political parties, with the nearly defunct opposition Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA) receiving ¥584 million ($3.69 million).

While the CRA effectively disbanded itself in September, one lawmaker, So Watanabe, a member of the House of Representatives, has remained so that the party would be able to receive the subsidies and use the money to pay costs related to February general’s election for the lower chamber of the Diet, the country’s parliament.

The amount of state subsidies allocated to each party is determined based on factors including the number of its Diet members as of Jan. 1 and Feb. 9, the date immediately following the February Lower House election. The funds are distributed in four installments, in April, July, October and December.

The party’s receipt of the state subsidies has drawn strong criticism as it has virtually ceased activities.

All CRA lawmakers other than Watanabe left the party. Of them, Lower House lawmakers who are originally from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) formed the Democratic Reform Party. But no subsidies were paid to the new opposition party.

The Japanese Communist Party, which opposes the political subsidy system, did not apply for the state money.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party received ¥3.84 billion in subsidies this time, and its Japan Innovation Party ally was given ¥703 million.

On the opposition side, the amount of subsidies came to ¥779 million for the CDP, ¥678 million for the Democratic Party for the People, ¥497 million for Sanseito, ¥349 million for Komeito, ¥175 million for Inochi no To, ¥142 million for Team Mirai, ¥73 million for the Conservative Party of Japan and ¥57 million for the Social Democratic Party.