JCP wins Meguro Ward Assembly by-election in Tokyo

In the October 6 election to fill three vacancies in the Meguro Ward Assembly in Tokyo, a Japanese Communist Party candidate was elected with the second largest votes.

In the ward mayoral election on the same day, a candidate of the Citizens Association for a Change of Meguro Ward Administration, which the JCP is taking part in, made a good fight. The candidate, former JCP Ward Assembly member, got about 31 percent of the total votes.

The present ward administration is spending about 42 billion yen (381 million dollars) on moving the ward office to a new building, while scrapping plans to build facilities for the aged and disabled.

The two JCP-supported candidates argued that the priority of the ward administration should be shifted from major development to improvement of the people's living conditions, which appealed to the ward voters.

The ward residents were much concerned about the Japan-North Korea summit talks. Making use of the abduction of Japanese nationals issue, the LDP attacked the JCP, saying that the JCP has the same idea as North Korea.

The JCP counterattacked this false campaign, insisting that the JCP works to establish peace in Asia, that negotiations with such a reckless country are necessary to solve problems, and that the abduction issue can be settled and the way toward peace be opened only through bilateral talks for normalization. (end)