 JCP defends its 10 seats in Kitakyushu City assembly The Japanese Communist Party defended its 10 seats in the 64-seat Kitakyushu City assembly election on January 30. On the following day, JCP Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi commented on the result as follows: "The JCP was the only party to call for an end to the wasteful use of tax money in order to defend residents' living standards. Although issues in the election were about city affairs, the JCP's success has a national significance as we are trying to turn the tide to launch a major offensive. During the election campaign, the two major parties, the ruling Liberal Democratic and opposition Democratic parties, called for the two-party system to take root in local politics. However, both the LDP and the DPJ suffered setbacks in the percentage of votes obtained. Their voting strength decreased from what they received in the 2004 House of Councilors election's proportional representation constituency. The number of their seats either decreased or remained unchanged at best. The LDP's vote getting strength dropped to 93 percent of what it was in the House of Councilors proportional representation election, reducing the number of its seats to 16 from 18. The DPJ reduced its voting strength to 37.6 percent, and the number of its seats to nine from the previous 11 (including former independents who later joined the DPJ). The Komei Party maintained its 11 seats, the same number it previously held but reduced the percentage of votes it received to 90 percent." "By contrast, the JCP won a 15 percent increase of votes from the House of Councilors proportional representation election, defending the 10 seats it won four years ago." The JCP Secretariat head said that the JCP will do all it can to achieve a JCP advance in the coming mid-term local elections, including the July 5 Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election. (end) |