 All JCP candidates elected to city assembly following municipality merger in Nagasaki In Nagasaki Prefecture, western Japan, all three Japanese Communist Party candidates were elected in the first city assembly election since the merger of six municipalities. The election for the 26-seat Goto City Assembly was held on February 27 as the result of a referendum calling for an election to replace the 91-member assembly which had been made up of all members of local assemblies before the merger. The JCP received 8.66 percent of votes cast. One of the three JCP candidates received the largest number of votes. The JCP's preparation for the election began soon after the merger was approved, visiting residents in all former cities and towns to know what their needs are and surveying their state of social services. In discussions and interviews with residents, the JCP branch told citizens about their activities that produced results, including a review of the urban planning taxation system, obtaining school lunches for a junior high school as well as a community bus. The JCP took citizens' demands to the city assembly, leading to the achievement of many of them. During the election campaign, the JCP distributed its local bulletins to inform the public of issues and policies that correspond to citizens' needs. (end) |