Political donations sink to record low - Japan

[dArKeR]

Political donations plunged to a record-low 24.3 billion yen in 2002, down 24 percent from the previous year in a reflection of the ongoing economic slump, according to a government report released Thursday.

It was the first time the total slipped below 30 billion yen since the current political funds disclosure system was introduced in 1976, according to the Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications Ministry.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20030912a1.htm

[Art_from_Ark]

1. I don't think this is a reflection of an economic slump

but rather a sign of growing pessimism with politicians and politics in general. For example, there is going to be an election here in Japan on the 20th, but the public isn't invited! It's just going to be a back-room deal among factions of the same party, to determine who's going to sit in the prime minister's chair for the next few months. And there was a report that the turnout at the last Japanese national election was one of the lowest in post-war history.