All four JCP candidates elected in Oita City

Japan Press Weekly

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

All four JCP candidates elected in Oita City

All of the four Japanese Communist Party candidates won in the Oita City Assembly election on February 22, in which all parties fought in the run-up to the House of Representatives election.

It was the first election after two seat reduction in the assembly, and 55 candidates contested for 46 seats.

The JCP maintained its seats and increased its share of assembly seats from 8.33 percent to 8.7 percent.

"It was an important election for residents' livelihoods. By getting all our candidates elected in the close battle, we could fulfill our responsibility as the residents' lifeline," said Hayashida Sumitaka, JCP Oita Prefectural Committee chair, at midnight on the voting day.

All elected members said that they strongly felt residents' anger toward the ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei party policies and their expectations of the JCP.

In Oita City, the number of people who lost jobs, mostly as temporary workers due to mass layoffs at Canon and other major corporations, reached 1,300, the highest number of layoffs in western Japan.

The number of small businesses that went bankrupt or closed their businesses has rapidly increased. Twenty-five percent of households are in arrears with their payments of national health insurance premiums, and 2,000 national health insurance policyholders have been provided temporary insurance certificates due to their inability to pay the premiums.

During the election campaign, JCP candidates called for residents' tax money to be used to provide free medical care for children up to six years old instead of using it for corporate welfare. They also demanded that the new medical insurance system for the elderly over 75 be abolished and that the amounts of the National Health Insurance premiums be cut by 10,000 yen per holder.

Distributing signature forms

JCP candidates also tried to meet residents' urgent demands. When they found out that residents of a public apartment complex wanted a community bus in order for many elderly residents to be able to go shopping or visit hospitals, they distributed signature forms in the public housing complex. Many residents returned forms with their name filled in, and the effort led to the representations to the municipality. Those who were involved in this activity were also actively involved in the election campaign to increase JCP supporters.

Fierce battle between parties

Other parties fiercely fought in the election involving their supporters' organizations. The LDP mobilized its related companies in the election campaign.

In the Notsuharu district, a formerly independent town that was merged into Oita City four years ago, the LDP incumbent and JCP candidate Kawano Hiroko, a former Notsuharu Town Assembly member for four terms, ran in the election. When the LDP candidate made the first speech on the first day of the election campaign, about 300 men wearing business suits showed up.

The JCP and its support group made efforts to help voters understand that the LDP incumbent only made two questions in the assembly in four years. Thanks to the many contacts with Kawano made as town assembly member, even a former conservative town assembly member expressed support for her. And she won.

The JCP added six new members during the election as well as 19 people in January when Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi visited the city for a speech assembly.

- Akahata, February 23, 24, 2009