September 6, 2022

All five Japanese Communist Party candidates won in the Kami City Assembly election in Kochi Prefecture on September 4. An additional candidate won a seat with the backing of the JCP, making the share of progressive seats the largest, 33.33%, among all city assemblies in the country.

Since the general election in late October of last year, JCP candidates have won all the seats they contested in local elections in the prefecture.

During the election campaign, the JCP in Kami City, based on its supporters' organization consisting of 5,237 households which account for about 40% of the city’s population, appealed to voters to vote for JCP or JCP-supported candidates. With JCP city assemblypersons in the lead, the local JCP is routinely tied with local JCP supporters. This relationship worked effectively in the election campaign.

The JCP Kami City assemblymembers' group constantly listens to residents' opinions, concerns, and needs, making efforts toward coming up with solutions. Its previous contributions include the installation of elevators at railway stations, free medical service for children until they graduate from junior high school, and the setting up of afterschool childcare centers in all elementary school districts in the city.

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Beating incumbent, JCP-backed candidate elected Katano City mayor in Osaka

A candidate, supported by a civil organization calling for a democratic city which the Japanese Communist Party also took part in, won his first victory in the Katano City mayoral election in Osaka on September 4, defeating the incumbent mayor backed by the Liberal Democratic and Komei parties.

Mayor-elect Yamamoto Kei says he will work to realize his election promises such as introducing a community bus service and freezing the planned 13% hike in water bills.