Town and village heads protest against forced mergers of smaller municipalities

About 3,200 mayors of the nation's towns and villages assembled in Tokyo on November 27 to voice their opposition to the Koizumi government's plan to force municipalities to merge.

This was in reply to their response to the central government plan to complete mergers of smaller municipalities by March 2005 and curtail local autonomy.

The National Conference of Town and Village Mayors adopted an urgent resolution expressing opposition to forced mergers, cutbacks in smaller municipalities' authority, and the shifting of financial burdens onto local governments. The resolution also calls for tax revenue of local governments to be secured and for the system of tax money allocation to local governments to be maintained.

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo at a news conference on the same the day welcomed the resolution by saying that the planned mergers are what the JCP has opposed from the very beginning.

Shii pointed out that many local governments, including those headed by conservative mayors, are rebelling against the Liberal Democratic Party government's policy of cutbacks in assistance to local governments.

The JCP will make efforts to increase discussions and cooperation with mayors, regardless of political party affiliation, to achieve the common demands, Shii said. (end)