JCP secures its 9 seats

Japan Press Weekly

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

JCP secures its 9 seats

Japanese voters at last put an end to the Liberal Democratic Party-Komei Party coalition rule in the August 30 House of Representatives general election.

While the LDP won only 119 seats, down from 300, the Democratic Party grabbed 308 out of the 480 seats in the lower chamber of the Diet. The DPJ leader will be elected the prime minister of Japan. The LDP's ruling partner, the Komei Party won only 21 seats, down from 31.

The Japanese Communist Party won nine seats in proportional representation constituencies.

Elected JCP candidates are: Takahashi Chizuko (Tohoku bloc), Shiokawa Tetsuya (Kita-Kanto bloc), Kasai Akira (Tokyo bloc), Shii Kazuo (Minami-Kanto bloc), Sasaki Kensho (Tokai bloc), Kokuta Keiji, Yoshii Hidekatsu, Miyamoto Takeshi (Kinki bloc), and Akamine Seiken (Kyushu Okinawa bloc).

In the proportional representation bloc, the JCP polled 4,943,886 votes (7.03 percent), up 24,699 from the previous general election in 2005 and up 535,954 from the 2007 House of Councilors election. In single-seat constituencies, the party received a total of 2,978,354 votes (4.22 percent).

Other than the DPJ, the only parties that succeeded in increasing the number of votes for their party candidates were the JCP and the People's New Party (up 36,694 votes).

Voter turnout rose slightly to 69.28 percent.

- Akahata, September 1, 2009