JCP maintains 38 percent of seats in Kyoto's Oyamazaki Town Assembly

In the October 20 election for the Oyamazaki Town Assembly in Kyoto Prefecture, the Japanese Communist Party secured the re-election of all six of its members, although the number of assembly seats was reduced from 18 to 16.

The JCP's share in the town assembly is 37.5 percent, the largest figure among all JCP local assembly members groups throughout Japan.

In the town mayoral election held on the same day, a candidate of the Association for Democratic Town Administration, which consists of the JCP and citizens organizations, put up a good fight and got 45.8 percent of the votes cast.

The JCP first won a seat in the town assembly in 1967. Since then, the party has increased its seats and in 1998 got six or one third of the total seats.

The JCP in Oyamazaki Town has struggled jointly with citizens movements calling on the town administration to accept people's requests.

Thirty-five years ago, the town government planned to fell all trees on the Tennozan Mountain for development. The JCP opposed the plan, got the first seat in the town assembly, and pushed the town government into giving up the plan.

To protect ground water as people's safe drinking water, the JCP worked to get an ordinance adopted in the town assembly for controlling major companies' reckless use of ground water.

Before the election, the JCP and citizens organizations developed a movement against an increase in water charges and called for official assistance for preschool children's medical expenses.

Many people, including young mothers who took part in the movement and began thinking about the town administration and assembly for the first time, supported the JCP in the election.

During the election campaign, the incumbent town mayor and ruling parties avoided policy discussions and only told lies about the JCP that it has been involved with North Korea's abduction of Japanese nationals.

A 29-year-old woman said she got offended with such an abusive campaign because slanders of the JCP had nothing to do with the town's problems, such as a plan to increase water charges. (end)