Japan Press Weekly

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2016 October 19 - 25 [POLITICS]

Joint opposition candidates lose Lower House by-elections

In the two by-elections for the House of Representatives on October 23, joint opposition candidates did not win seats.

In the Tokyo No. 10 single-seat constituency, Democratic Party candidate Suzuki Yosuke, jointly supported by opposition parties including the Japanese Communist Party, lost to his rival endorsed by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. In the Fukuoka No. 6 district, DP candidate Arai Fumiko, also supported by the opposition bloc, was defeated by her rival backed by the LDP.

Prior to the by-elections, the secretaries-general of the four opposition parties – the JCP, DP, Social Democratic Party, and Liberal Party – held a meeting on October 5. In the meeting, DP Secretary General Noda Yoshihiko asked the three other parties to back the DP-endorsed candidates in the by-elections. JCP Secretariat Head Koike Akira accepted Noda’s request on condition that the two candidates promise to work to abolish the unconstitutional national security legislation and foil Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s attempt to undermine Japan’s pacifist Constitution.

After the election results were reported, Koike made a comment.

Koike stressed that in order to stop PM Abe’s runaway policies, it is vital for the opposition parties to seriously work together with trust and respect for each other. He expressed his intent to talk with other opposition parties on how to build a mutually supportive relationship in working toward the coming general election.

Past related article:
> 4 opposition parties field joint candidates in Lower House by-elections [October 6, 2016]