JCP member elected Warabi City mayor

   An independent candidate backed by the Japanese Communist Party was elected as the Warabi City Mayor on June 3, becoming the first JCP municipal head in Saitama Prefecture.

   Yoritaka Hideo, 43, received 17,815 votes, 3,309 more than that of Shono Takuya, the opponent supported by the Liberal Democratic and Komei parties.

   Yoritaka was a JCP city assembly member for three terms since 1991.

   He is calling for an end to the 32 years of conservative city administration, review of a development project in the area around JR Warabi Station, a halt to the continuous increases in national health insurance premiums and other tax burdens, and residents’ participation in the city administration.

   Yoritaka said, “This is a victory of residents wishing for a new Warabi City,” and expressed his determination to fulfill his campaign pledges.

   Commenting on Japanese Communist Party member Yoritaka Hideo’s victory over an LDP- and Komei Party-backed candidate in the Warabi City mayoral election, JCP Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi at a press conference on June 4 said, “It is a significant achievement. Residents’ demands for a halt to wasteful use of tax money and cancellation of increases in tax burdens helped achieve this victory.”

   Asked by reporters to comment on the Democratic Party of Japan’s decision not to officially support any candidate in the mayoral election, Ichida pointed out that a DPJ city assembly member of neighboring Toda City openly supported the candidate backed by the LDP and Komei parties and that a DPJ Warabi City Assembly member waged an anti-communist campaign. “Residents frustrated with the ‘all-are-ruling-parties’ setup heavily supported Mr. Yoritaka,” Ichida said.

   Yoritaka will take office as the 9th JCP municipal head in the country. He is also the 2nd JCP city mayor in the Tokyo metropolitan area, with Tokyo’s Komae City Mayor Yano Yutaka.              - Akahata, June ４& 5, 2007