 Another communist town mayor elected in Fukushima In a mayoral election on November 14 for Kunimi Town, a small town with a population of about 11,000 in Fukushima Prefecture in northern Japan, Sato Tsutomu, a former Japanese Communist Party member of the town assembly, was elected with a margin of 370 votes over the incumbent. Sato is the second JCP mayor in Fukushima next to Ryosen Town, and the 13th JCP municipality head in Japan. The major issue in the election was a merger with five towns that the incumbent mayor planned. Sato called for the plan, which was rejected by a town concerned, to be canceled and for the town assembly to rethink it based on the opinions of the townspeople. The JCP Kunimi branch published 30 issues of its bulletin to provide the voters with information and its critical view of the merger, and they were read widely. The election results were 3,574 votes for Sato and 3,136 votes for Tominaga, with voter turnout at 75 percent. At the news of Sato's election, about 150 people gathered at Sato's office to congratulate him. Winner is JCP bulletin over town merger The election of former Japanese Communist Party assembly member Sato Tsutomu as mayor of Kunimi Town in northern Fukushima was a result of JCP publicity over the merger issue overshadowing the town. Even supporters of the incumbent and pro-merger opponent changed their opinions into supporting Sato. The town merger, a major issue in the election, initially involved nine towns. When three towns seceded from the merger plan, Sato, who had been a JCP assembly member for 24 years, petitioned to the assembly that the plan be canceled and opinions be collected. But the extraordinary assembly on November 6, the day before the mayoral election was announced, approved by a narrow margin of one vote a bill to continue the merger talks with the remaining six towns, including Kunimi. Sato, who promptly announced his candidacy, had only five days for campaigning. Behind Sato's win lies 30 issues of "Democratic Kunimi," a bulletin that the JCP Kunimi branch published since late August to let the residents know that the proposed merger is contrary to their needs. The bulletin carried detailed information and a critical view of the merger. Its 3,500 copies attracted attention because administrative information was scarce about the plan. A shopowner, who said that he had been a supporter of the incumbent mayor, said that he received all 30 issues, carefully read them, and pinned his hope on Sato. An 85-year-old said, "Sato represents us residents, not as someone who comes from above to make decisions." (end) |