Grassroots power realized all JCP candidates' election in Kitakyushu City

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Grassroots power realized all JCP candidates' election in Kitakyushu City

Every political party regarded Fukuoka's Kitakyushu City Assembly election on February 2 as a preliminary political battle for the upcoming House of Representatives general election. All of the 10 Japanese Communist Party candidates were elected thanks to the power exerted by grassroots supporters.

Former temp worker and SDF member

Fujisawa Kayo, a 59-year-old JCP candidate in the Kokura-minami district, where 12 seats were contested by 16 candidates, realized at 12:30 am in her office that she won the election by a narrow margin over an LDP opponent. She was awarded a warm applause from her supporters.

Among them was a 26-year-old former temporary worker who was laid off at the end of last year by Oita Canon Inc. before his contract term ended. He was actively involved in Fujisawa's election campaign, doing everything he could, from making phone calls asking for support and distributing flyers in the streets.

"I've finally found a place I feel comfortable in. I agree with the JCP policies for securing jobs by blocking major dismissals of temporary workers," he said.

In the Yahata-nishi district, two JCP candidates won two of the 15 seats. Kanda Kanta, 40, was working as a driver for the incumbent candidate Ishida Yasutaka. Kanda, a former member of the Ground Self-Defense Force, left the GSDF five years ago and returned to his parents' house in Kitakyushu City. At that time, his mother was receiving welfare benefits from the municipal office which was trying to withhold the payments.

"We were told by the municipal office that it would no longer provide the benefits for my mother because her son was back," said Kanda. "I was having a hard time finding a job right after leaving the SDF. I didn't know what to do." JCP city assembly members' leader Ishida gave a helping hand to Kanda and assisted in his job finding.

Kanda, who became a JCP member on December 29 last year, said, "I was impressed by the JCP as a party that can forcefully urge major corporations to stop laying off temporary workers and maintain employment."

Talk with conservatives

While running in their elections, all the JCP candidates heard the favorable "silent voices" of conservative people and people with no political affiliation.

Inoue Shingo, 32, elected in the Yahata-higashi district, realized that many business owners in local shopping areas were ending their support for the LDP-Komei Party coalition.

When Inoue visited a shop owner, who is a passionate Komei supporter, he told the young JCP candidate that due to the decline in sales, he has to work as a part-timer from 1 to 5 a.m. Then he accepted to put up Inoue's poster next to a Komei candidate's poster in front of his shop.

Inoue used to hear from local JCP members that the owner did not even talk to them when they visited him.

Another shop owner, known as a strong LDP supporter, told Inoue, "I'm talking with my wife these days about possible closing our business." When Inoue told him, "Please visit me anytime for consultation," he responded, "I will." He used to criticize a local JCP branch whenever it conducted a street drive near his shop.

Miura Toshiko, who became a JCP member last year, worked hard to get two JCP candidates elected at the Kokura-kita district. She said, "During the campaign I was so worried because if JCP members lose their seats at the city assembly, they have to close their local office where residents can directly ask for help. But my worries are over and now we are so happy with the election results."

- Akahata, February 3, 2009