general_election

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JCP statement on general election results

The Standing Executive Committee of the Japanese Communist Party on September 12 published the following statement on the results of the September 11 House of Representatives election:

(1) The JCP in the general election secured the 9 seats it had previously held. It received 4.92 million votes in the proportional representation section. The number is larger than that in the previous general election although the JCP's share of votes decreased. The results show that the JCP put up a good fight. The Japanese Communist Party Standing Executive Committee expresses its heartfelt gratitude to those who voted for the JCP. Our thanks go to JCP supporters and members of the JCP Supporters' Associations as well as JCP members who braved the hot weather to work hard during the election campaign.

(2) This general election came as a premeditated surprise attack by Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro. We were forced to face the difficult situation in which gusts of Koizumi wind blew everywhere.

In the national meetings we held on August 3 and August 19 in preparation for a general election, the JCP was the first political party to establish its clear political and organizational strategies. Learning lessons from the two previous parliamentary elections in which we suffered setbacks in the midst of a major campaign to create a "two-party system," the JCP announced an "opposition party election platform" in order to show clearly the JCP's role in actual politics. In its national appeal the JCP emphasized that the present politics calls for "a true opposition party." Policies that the JCP articulated during the election campaign met many citizens' demands, thus exerting great influence.

JCP organizations and members along with JCP Supporters' Association members throughout Japan made greater efforts than in the previous national elections with a firm determination to win this battle.

Putting up a courageous struggle under the difficult conditions, the JCP received more votes than in the previous general election and defended its 9 seats while the Democratic Party of Japan lost many seats. We recognize that this achievement has reversed the decline in recent national elections and can be a significant basis to establish a major JCP advance in the future.

(3) By calling for postal privatization as the only election issue, the Koizumi-led LDP's "Don't stop the reform" campaign succeeded in having a wide range of voters vaguely believe that he may break the sense of stagnation that they feel about present politics. As a result, the LDP obtained many extra seats. However, with Koizumi's "reform" causing hardships for people and the present diplomatic stalemate becoming more serious, contradictions between public expectations and the LDP will become sharper than ever.

Concerning the issue of postal privatization, which the LDP set forth as the only election issue, Prime Minister Koizumi used lies and tricks to forgo telling the truth. In the election campaign, he kept hiding his real targets such as an increase in the consumption and income taxes as well as revision of Article 9 of the Constitution. These will inevitably be important issues of national politics in the post election Diet.

The present political situation calls on the JCP to make strenuous efforts as "the only reliable opposition party." The JCP will do everything it can to firmly stand against the postal privatization scheme, massive tax increases, and constitutional revision. It will carry forward its "campaign pledges" to defend people's living standards and peace.

(4) In the general election, the JCP sought to get at least one extra seat in proportional representation constituencies. The JCP Central Committee will accept opinions from within and outside the party about its failure to achieve this goal and will evaluate the election results to learn lessons together with JCP prefectural and district committees. The JCP Central Committee is determined to make progress in the next election.

In its 3rd Central Committee Plenum in April, the JCP called for a "major campaign to increase party strength" toward the JCP 24th Congress in January 2006 to get the party strong enough in quality and quantity in order to win a victory in national elections in any circumstance, and has worked for this end. The general election this time took place in the midst of this effort. The election results confirmed the importance of the major campaign to increase the party strength.

In pursuit of a JCP advance in simultaneous local elections as well as the House of Councilors election in 2007, the JCP will commit itself to defend people's livelihoods and peace while actively demonstrating its presence as "the only reliable opposition party." The JCP has a strong determination to make a success of "the major campaign" to build a party that has the ability to increase its presence under any circumstance. -- Akahata, September 13, 2005