JCP strives to win more seats in Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Election

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

JCP strives to win more seats in Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Election

The Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election campaign will officially start on July 3. The Japanese Communist Party will run 36 candidates.

At present, the JCP holds 13 seats in the 127-seat Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly. It is encouraging its members and supporters to step up activities to win more seats in order to realize the demands of Tokyo citizens.

With many people showing interest in the JCP's signature campaign demanding free-medical services for the elderly aged 75 years and over and its call for improvement in the childcare center system that leaves no children on waiting lists, the JCP and its supporters are increasing their criticism of the 'all-are-ruling' parties, including the Liberal Democratic, Komei, and the Democratic parties, for cutting back Tokyo's social services for the elderly to the lowest level of support in the country.

The JCP is emphasizing that its major advance in the election is necessary to stop the Tokyo Metropolitan Government from continuing to squander tax money on large-scale road construction and other development projects and on the bailout of the failing bank established under the Tokyo governor's initiative.

All parties are mobilizing all available means to emerge victorious in the upcoming Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election, regarding it as one with national significance together with the House of Representatives general election.

The LDP, which currently holds 48 seats, held a rally on May 16, attended by Tokyo Governor Ishihara Shintaro. On every Saturday and Sunday from June 13, LDP Diet members and its candidates running in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election will take to the streets to call for public support. In its policy proposals, the LDP is calling for Tokyo to host the 2016 summer Olympics and for an early completion of three new beltways.

The DPJ, which now has 34 seats, on May 26 set up its Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election campaign headquarters. DPJ President Hatoyama Yukio said, "At issue in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election is whether to agree with Governor Ishihara's policies. We must concentrate on how we can win in this election first so that we can give impetus to the subsequent House of Representatives general election."

The Komei Party, a ruling coalition partner with 22 seats, aims to have all of its 23 candidates elected. At a prefectural representatives meeting on May 9, Komei Chief Representative Ota Hiroaki encouraged participants, saying, "We stake our all on achieving our targets in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election and the general election."

- Akahata, June 3, 2009