13,000 people in JCP speech meeting resolve to win victories in local elections in Tokyo

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13,000 people in JCP speech meeting resolve to win victories in local elections in Tokyo

Aiming at winning victories in the gubernatorial election and local assembly elections in Tokyo scheduled for April, the Japanese Communist Party held a speech meeting on March 10 at Meiji Park in Tokyo. It called on the 13,000 participants to create a wave of JCP advance in Tokyo that in turn will ensure the JCP's progress in the House of Councilors election scheduled for July.

Yoshida Manzo, the JCP-supported candidate for Tokyo governor, stressed the need to drastically change the metropolitan government policies by putting an end to misuse of the government, prioritizing the defense of living standards over large public works projects, and placing constitutional principles at the foundation of the metropolitan administration.

JCP Chair Shii Kazuo in his speech pointed out that in the Metropolitan Assembly the Liberal Democratic, the Democratic, Komei, and other parties have supported Governor Ishihara Shintaro's policies of cutting budgets for welfare programs and promoting large development projects. Stressing that the JCP is the only opposition party that has criticized such policies, Shii said, "Mr. Yoshida is the only candidate with the experience and policies that are capable of drastically changing metropolitan politics."

Revealing the fact that Asano Shiro, who announced his candidacy for the Tokyo governor with backing from the DPJ, during his tenure as the Miyagi prefectural governor had cut welfare programs while carrying out large development projects with the support of all parties except the JCP, Shii stressed, "There is no significant difference between him and Governor Ishihara."

"The underlying structure of this gubernatorial election is the confrontation between the 'all-are-ruling-parties' force split into two blocs and Mr. Yoshida backed by the joint cooperation of the JCP and voters with no political affiliation," Shii said, adding, "Let us expand this cooperation in order to achieve Mr. Yoshida's victory and reestablish a residents-oriented metropolitan government in Tokyo."
- Akahata, March 11, 2007