Vote for JCP and democratic candidates in local elections

At the start of the 2003 simultaneous local elections on March 27, the Japanese Communist Party Central Committee published an appeal to the people. Candidates for governors of Tokyo and 10 other prefectures started their 17-day campaigns.

The excerpt of the appeal calling for people's support for the JCP, progressive, and democratic candidates in the elections is as follows:

The simultaneous local elections will be held amid the U.S.-led illegal war on Iraq giving rise to worldwide opposition and calls for peace.

The Koizumi Cabinet supports the illegal and savage war, and the pro-war Liberal Democratic, Komei and New Conservative parties paint the global surge of anti-war movements as benefiting the enemy. We will make the polls places to vote for peace.

Local governments controlled by the LDP and the Komei Party would not give up the failed policy of promoting large development projects. They continue to use huge amounts of tax money or borrow money to make up for losses from these failures. In the end, they cut back welfare, education, and other social services, and increased various utility charges, public high school tuition, and fees for the use of public facilities.

While giving lip service to decentralization, the central government is actually forcing cities, towns, and villages into mergers in violation of local self-government allowing residents to make decisions on local matters. The JCP will do its best to let the principle of local autonomy guide so that residents are the key players.

The JCP, with about 4,400 local assembly members, is the biggest party representing local politics.

The system of free medical services for infants, which now exists in Japan, was first called for by the JCP in the Diet and local assemblies in the 1970s. The LDP and the Komei Party many times turned down bills for ordinances and refused to accept citizens' petitions calling for such a system. The JCP persistently worked to influence local assemblies and municipal authorities by developing the movement till the system was eventually introduced.

The same is true for a smaller class size under 30 pupils in primary and junior high schools.

JCP local assembly members were the first in proposing a break in the payment of nursing care insurance premiums and fees for nursing care services as well as cuts in the national health insurance tax. Now the practice has spread nationwide.

Upholding the banner of "the clean party", JCP local assembly members took the lead in being the watchdog over political corruption and demanding information be made available to the public.

In the 80 years since its founding, the JCP has maintained the principles of peace, protecting the people's sovereignty. The JCP in the prewar period was the only party that opposed the war of aggression at the risk of the lives of its members. This struggle has borne fruit in the present Constitution of Japan. The JCP is the only party that demands the abolition of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, the treaty that allows the United States to maintain a huge network of military bases all over Japan and drag Japan into U.S.-led illegal wars.

A new wave calling for a change in politics has emerged from localities. Let us make this wave bigger and stronger to achieve governments in which residents are the key players. (end)