Update January 19, 2010
Ozawa – The Investigators Come Knocking
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Secretary General Ozawa has become embroiled in financial scandal once again, with the arrests over the weekend of three current and former assistants, one now a serving Dietmember, on suspicion on breaking the Political Funds Control Law.
An earlier financial scandal involving one of the three cost Ozawa the party leadership.
The arrests concern allegations of incomplete records for funds used to purchase land by a political support group, and an illegal donation made around the same time by a company bidding for a dam project in Ozawa’s home prefecture Iwate.
Ozawa denies strenuously any wrong-doing. He has implied that the investigation was politically motivated, saying that the arrests appeared timed to coincide with the party’s convention on 16 January. He has said he is determined to stay on, and the Prime Minister and his key deputies have agreed to this. Alternate Secretary General Koshiishi will take over some of Ozawa’s party responsibilities while he concentrates on handling the case.
Two things are remarkable about this development. The first is the obvious point that the investigations hold out the prospect of bringing Ozawa, arguably the nation’s most powerful individual, to his knees. Having amassed enormous power over his political career, and credited with the DPJ’s electoral victory, he inspires awe and fear within the party, which has come to depend on his leadership.
The second is the way the party has chosen to stick by him, despite the unquestionably negative impact the investigations will have on the party’s popularity. This is already making itself clear in opinion polls, which are showing the Hatoyama Cabinet’s approval rating now below its disapproval rating. Some 73 per cent of respondents in this poll were against Ozawa continuing in his position.
Following the weekend’s party conference, DPJ Dietmembers affirmed their support for Ozawa, calling for him to continue to “fight” against the investigation.
The language party members are using shows a lack of faith in the neutrality of the administration. The Prime Minister himself called on Ozawa to fight the investigation, saying he believed Ozawa’s version of events. He later scrambled to defend his comments, denying that they suggested bias in a matter under investigation by authorities, for which he is the ultimate head.
A number of study groups have been set up among DPJ Dietmembers in support of Ozawa. One such group invited a lawyer to speak with it about the case and concluded that the arrest of Ishikawa, the Dietmember, was inappropriate.
Another team has been set up to examine the possibility of one-sided leaks to the media by the investigators.
These groups are adding to an atmosphere making it difficult for DPJ members to speak out. Only a handful of Dietmembers have been prepared to call for Ozawa to give a fuller explanation of his involvement in the dealings. These include Kozo Watanabe, a former supreme adviser to the DPJ, who convened a group of like-minded Dietmembers to discuss the case on Saturday evening. Included in the group was Foreign Minister Okada. Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Maehara, who led calls for Ozawa’s resignation as party leader over the previous scandal, would have participated but was travelling at the time.
For the opposition Liberal Democratic Party, the case could not have come at a better time. They will maximise the just-commenced Diet sittings to pursue explanations over the case. Other opposition parties, including the Communist Party, are also calling for this.