April 29, 2024

Opposition candidates supported also by the Japanese Communist Party won in all three House of Representatives by-elections on April 28.

In Tokyo’s No.15 district, Sakai Natsumi, 37, a joint candidate of citizens and opposition parties, won over her eight rivals. Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan candidates, Kamei Akiko, 58, and Yamada Katsuhiko, 44, both of whom were supported by the JCP, won a seat in Shimane’s No.1 district and Nagasaki’s No. 3 district, respectively.

JCP Secretariate Head Koike Akira at a press conference held on the same day at the JCP head office said, “The voters have given a severe verdict on Kishida’s coalition government (the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komei Party) and its supplementary force, the ‘Nippon Ishin no Kai’ party.”

Koike noted that Prime Minister Kishida Fumio at a meeting of the Upper House Budget Committee on March 24 said, “(The results of the by-elections) will include voters’ judgment of me, and my pollical stance will also be evaluated by the voters.” Koike then stated, “As a result, PM Kishida has received a no-confidence vote in either constituency.”

Koike expressed his position in the latter half of the Diet session on issues such as the LDP slush-fund scandal, the economy and livelihoods of the general public, and the major arms buildup promoted by the Kishida government in disregard of the Japanese Constitution. He said, “The JCP will pursue the government responsibility for these issues and will push the LDP-Komei regime to the point where it will have no choice but to hold a snap election.”

Koike expressed his determination to do his utmost to achieve a JCP advance in the upcoming general election and to rebuild the joint struggle between concerned citizens and opposition parties based on equality and mutual respect.

Koike was asked if the fact that the JCP did not field its candidate in Shimane No.1 constituency, which was a one-on-one battle between the ruling parties and the opposition parties, was a factor in CDPJ Yamada’s victory. He answered, “Obviously, we anticipated that effect.”

He added, “Not only in Shimane but also in Nagasaki and Tokyo, the opposition parties focused on a single candidate and campaigned together with concerned citizens. This effort has led to a judgment of ‘No’ to the LDP-Komei government and the Ishin party.”

Past related article:
> Campaign period for 3 Lower House by-elections officially begins [April 17, 2024]