November 16, 2024

The Japanese Communist Party, in response to the general election results, held an online meeting on November 15 in which all prefectural heads took part and discussed options for future activities in order to overcome the party’s weaknesses.

In the October 27 House of Representatives election, the JCP received 3,363,000 votes in proportional representation blocs or 6.16% of the vote, a drop from 4,166,000 votes or 7.25% of the vote in the previous Lower House election in 2021, reducing the number of JCP seats from nine to seven.

Despite playing a major role in the pursuit of the slush-fund allegations involving the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the JCP lost two seats.

JCP Executive Committee Chair Tamura Tomoko said, “We must face up to the fact that the biggest cause of the JCP’s setback in votes and seats is its own lack of strength.”

Tamura announced that in the next House of Councilors election, in proportional representation constituencies, the JCP will aim to obtain “6.5 million votes or a vote of more than 10%” of the total and for an increase from 4 to 5 seats “with proportional representation” as the axis, and that in prefectural constituencies, the party will aim to secure the seats it currently holds in Saitama, Tokyo, Kyoto and to add more where possible.

In order to achieve these goals, the party will launch voter-wide PR activities; immediately start dialogue with friends and acquaintances, and visit door to door to engage potential voters to expand support for the party; and strengthen social media activities.

With regard to social media during the general election campaign, the JCP Central Committee as well as its candidates were “just getting started” with their social media presence, including with short videos, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. The number of registrations and views on each of these social media platforms was far behind that of other political parties.

In the nine months following the 29th JCP Congress, 3,974 people jointed the party but only 15.5% of all JCP branches brought in new members.

Tamura said the party will aim to add an additional 1,000 new members by the end of November and 2,000 within December in order to at least recover the membership level to the time of the 29th Congress.