November 1, 2022

All eleven Japanese Communist Party candidates won in regular local assembly elections held in four cities on October 30.

In assembly elections in Sosa City in Chiba Prefecture and Himi City in Toyama Prefecture, the JCP maintained its pre-election seats of two and one, respectively. In the Susaki City Assembly election in Kochi Prefecture, the JCP secured its pre-election strength of two seats, although the total number of assembly seats was reduced by one.

In the election of the Aomori City Assembly (Aomori Prefecture) whose number of seats decreased by three to 32, all six JCP candidates (four incumbents and two challengers) won the competition against 35 rivals. The JCP increased its number of seats by one from the pre-election strength of five seats, becoming the second largest party following the Liberal Democratic Party. The JCP’s share of seats in the assembly went up to 18.75%.

During the election campaign, the six JCP candidates asked voters for their support by saying that working together with concerned citizens, the JCP in the assembly produced various achievements, including implementing a free school lunch program in all public elementary and junior high schools. The six promised that if elected, they will work even harder to realize people’s demands such as support for childrearing families, and thus succeeded in attracting voters’ support.

On the day after the election day, the six newly-elected JCP assemblypersons held a street speech near Aomori Station. They expressed their gratitude to voters who voted for the JCP and their determination to continue making collective efforts to improve citizens’ livelihoods.

A woman in her 70s who happened to see the JCP street speech said, “Four of the six JCP assemblypersons are women! That’s great! I think the JCP takes the lead in achieving gender equality.”