Citizens groups issue appeal for Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election

Twelve national organizations which are joining forces to stop corrupt politicians from being elected on June 7 published an appeal calling for the election of Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly members who are committed to the Constitution.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election will be held on Sunday, June 24 after a ten-day official campaign period.

The group of 12 organizations is called the Association for Calling on Voters not to Vote for Candidates who Have been Implicated in Political Corruption." It expressed concern about Governor Ishihara Shintaro's administration being very far from what the people want it to be. It specifically cited Ishihara's call for an adverse revision of the Constitution, discriminatory remarks against foreign residents, the use of the Self-Defense Forces in disaster prevention drills, and cuts in social welfare services.

The Appeal called for opposition to the SDF participation in disaster prevention drills and improvement of social welfare services by cutting wasteful expenditures on big development projects. It also demanded that the school textbook written by the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform not be used in school education because it includes distortions of history.

Members of the Association include: Japan Housewives' Association, The League of Women Voters of Japan, the Japanese Consumers' Co-operative Union, Japan Seinendan (rural youth groups) Council, the Tokyo Young Women's Christian Association, Tokyo Liaison Committee of Regional Consumers' Organizations, Tokyo League of Regional Women's Organizations, and the Consumers Union of Japan. (end)