February 27 & 28, 2011
More and more people are casting a crucial eye on and being disappointed by the Democratic Party of Japan, so many former DPJ local assembly members are declaring that they will run for the upcoming nationwide local elections on other political parties’ ticket.
As of February 24, 13 DPJ members of 6 ward assemblies and 2 city assemblies in Tokyo switched to other parties to stand for re-election.
In Tokyo’s Kunitachi and Mitaka cities, some DPJ assemblymen left the party or refused to run as the party’s candidates.
Kunitachi City Assembly member Ubukata Yuichi, who has just changed his membership from the DPJ to the Your Party, said that the final straw was the 2010 December Nishitokyo City Assembly election in which the DPJ could only obtain four seats out of seven DPJ candidates. Ubukata also stated, “The DPJ puts less value on its local assembly members. The party’s local organizations are very weak. I don’t know how many voters will support me.”
Urano Hideki, DPJ member of the Mitaka City Assembly, gave up standing as a DPJ candidate and decided not to run in the upcoming election. In his blog, he commented, “Many people think that the DPJ has completely changed.”
In Kawasaki City in Kanagawa Prefecture, city assembly member Ito Hisashi, who was the vice chair of the DPJ city assembly members’ group, announced that he left the party. This has made other DPJ candidates in Kanagawa upset. A new DPJ candidate in Kanagawa’s Yamato City in his blog wrote, “I have to resist the temptation to run away.”
Former DPJ member of Tokyo’s Nerima Ward Assembly Sugata Makoto will take part in the mayoral race in April as a candidate of a local political group.
Sugata was elected for three consecutive terms as a DPJ assemblyman. He used to display a photo of DPJ Secretary General Okada Katsuya on his poster. However, at present, high-profile local political group leader and Nagoya City Mayor Kawamura Takashi appears on his poster instead of Okada.
As well as the photo, his catch phrase, “Carry out my original intention,” printed on his previous poster with the photo of Okada has also disappeared. What indeed was his original intention?
As of February 24, 13 DPJ members of 6 ward assemblies and 2 city assemblies in Tokyo switched to other parties to stand for re-election.
In Tokyo’s Kunitachi and Mitaka cities, some DPJ assemblymen left the party or refused to run as the party’s candidates.
Kunitachi City Assembly member Ubukata Yuichi, who has just changed his membership from the DPJ to the Your Party, said that the final straw was the 2010 December Nishitokyo City Assembly election in which the DPJ could only obtain four seats out of seven DPJ candidates. Ubukata also stated, “The DPJ puts less value on its local assembly members. The party’s local organizations are very weak. I don’t know how many voters will support me.”
Urano Hideki, DPJ member of the Mitaka City Assembly, gave up standing as a DPJ candidate and decided not to run in the upcoming election. In his blog, he commented, “Many people think that the DPJ has completely changed.”
In Kawasaki City in Kanagawa Prefecture, city assembly member Ito Hisashi, who was the vice chair of the DPJ city assembly members’ group, announced that he left the party. This has made other DPJ candidates in Kanagawa upset. A new DPJ candidate in Kanagawa’s Yamato City in his blog wrote, “I have to resist the temptation to run away.”
Former DPJ member of Tokyo’s Nerima Ward Assembly Sugata Makoto will take part in the mayoral race in April as a candidate of a local political group.
Sugata was elected for three consecutive terms as a DPJ assemblyman. He used to display a photo of DPJ Secretary General Okada Katsuya on his poster. However, at present, high-profile local political group leader and Nagoya City Mayor Kawamura Takashi appears on his poster instead of Okada.
As well as the photo, his catch phrase, “Carry out my original intention,” printed on his previous poster with the photo of Okada has also disappeared. What indeed was his original intention?
