JCP candidate elected to head Yuzawa City in Akita

Yuzawa City in the northern Japanese prefecture of Akita has become the tenth Japanese municipality to be led by a Communist Party member as mayor.

In the mayoral election held on April 21, Suzuki Toshio, a former JCP member of the prefectural assembly backed by the JCP, defeated the former mayor supported by the Liberal Democratic and Komei parties.

Suzuki was a candidate of a residents' group calling for the establishment of a city administration that cares for residents above anything else, with some local conservatives and independents joining. He received 11,732 votes (54.98 percent of total votes). His contender received 9,606 votes.

In Japan, there have been two cities that are led by JCP members: Komae City in Tokyo and Higashi-Osaka City in Osaka.

The new mayor promised that he will stop using the mayor's official car and move the mayor's office down to the first floor of the city hall. (end)