Komei's top leaders resign to take responsibility for setback in general election

Japan Press Weekly

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

Komei's top leaders resign to take responsibility for setback in general election

Komei Party Chief Representative Ota Akihiro and Secretary General Kitagawa Kazuo on September 3 tendered their resignations to take responsibility for the party's defeat in the August 30 House of Representatives general election.

In this general election, Komei only won 21 proportional representation seats, down from 31.

It lost in all eight single-seat districts, including Ota in Tokyo's No.12 constituency and Kitagawa in Osaka's No.16 constituency.

The Komei Party's failure was an expression of strong public anger at Komei, which tried to prevent the Liberal Democratic Party from collapsing by promoting policies that appear at first glance to be in the public interest.

Komei and the LDP promoted "structural reform" policies, including a 200 billion yen cut in the growth of the social services budgets, and helped to send the Self-Defense Forces abroad.

In addition, Komei played a role in helping the LDP prolong its stay in power by cooperating in the general election by calling on its party members and supporters to vote for the LDP in single-seat constituencies and, in return, the LDP called on its members and supporters to vote for Komei in proportional representation blocs as well as for Komei candidates in specific single-seat districts.

In this general election campaign, Komei emphasized, "We are the guardian of people's livelihoods."

A Komei statement tried to explain its defeat by depicting itself as a victim of the adverse wind that blew against the LDP. It said, "In this general election, swirling headwinds were blowing against the LDP."

- Akahata, September 4, 2009