 JCP-supported candidate defeats incumbent mayor in Tokyo In the mayoral election for Kodaira City in Tokyo on April 3, Kobayashi Masanori supported by the Japanese Communist Party and other parties defeated the incumbent mayor, Maeda Masanao, backed by the Liberal Democratic and Komei parties. In Kodaira, the city administration has been controlled by the ruling conservatives since the city obtained municipal status in 1962. Thus, the mayoral election result has brought about a major "political change" to the city. Kobayashi said, "The outcome represents an explosion of citizens' calls for a change of city administration into one that defends their livelihoods." To respond to these calls, Kobayashi concluded agreements on policies with the JCP, the Democratic Party of Japan and the Social Democratic Party. On this basis, he publicly promised to defend the Constitution, the Fundamental Law of Education, the Local Autonomy Law, and freedom of information as well as to promote a citizens' participatory administration and a 35-pupil class size limit at schools. Incumbent Maeda avoided policy issues and threatened that the city administration must not be in the hands of the JCP. The JCP district committee in charge of Kodaira City published a statement on April 4. It stated that the outcome reveals the broad range of people who demand a city administration that regards citizens as the key players. Kodaira City is now Tokyo's 6th municipality in which the JCP is a governing coalition. (end) |