JCP town mayor elected in western Japan

A Japanese Communist Party candidate was elected as mayor of Okayama's Konko Town, with a population of about 12,500. Katayama Hitoshi, former JCP member of the town assembly, is the eleventh JCP municipality head nationwide.

"Justice has prevailed," a woman member of the association backing Katayama shouted, when his victory over the three-term incumbent by a margin of 46 votes was reported.

"Under the authoritarian mayorship, many townspeople were forced to refrain from speaking out on anything. Voters' wishes were met in this election," she said.

The former mayor disregarded townspeople's wishes by promoting wasteful public works projects. He used 500 million yen of tax money for large development projects, including the construction of an unnecessary road and bridge, and raised the nursing-care insurance premiums by 48 percent. Corruption involving him directly came to light when it was revealed that he was given a luxury-car by a company.

Many residents believed that the former mayor had to go. They also knew that the incumbent's re-election must be prevented. But they had no idea who could challenge him.

Just two months before the April 27 election, eight town residents formed the Association to Establish a Clean and Fair Konko Town and decided to ask JCP Katayama to run, knowing that he and the mayor had been facing off against each other in the town assembly on a number of important issues.

In the election campaign, Katayama called on the voters to support him and his promise to establish a clean and fair town administration and reduce or exempt national health insurance premiums and nursing-care insurance premiums by cutting the mayor's salary by 30 percent. He also promised to reduce entertainment expenses and do away with the mayor's official limousines.

Katayama's campaign pledge soon caught the townspeople's attention.

By contrast, the incumbent mayor's camp concentrated their efforts on spreading anti-community lies, saying, "A communist mayor would put the town in chaos."

Surrounded by townspeople celebrating victory, newly elected JCP Katayama expressed his determination to push ahead with policies in defense of people's livelihoods and social services, and establish a clean and fair town administration. (end)