Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2017 October 11 - 17 [POLITICS]

Shii at kick-off speech resolves anew to seek JCP advance in general election

Campaigns for the general election officially started on October 10. The heated race for Lower House seats between political parties will last for 12 days across the country. The Japanese Communist Party resolved to obtain more than 15% of total votes cast in the proportional representation blocks and increase the number of its seats in the Lower House from the present strength of 21.

On the voting day, October 22, a total of 465 seats—289 for single-seat constituencies and 176 for proportional representation blocks—will be contested. In line with the JCP’s policy to realize electoral cooperation among opposition parties, the party’s candidates who had planned to run for office in 67 constituencies agreed to retract their candidacies. As a result, the JCP and other pro-constitution parties will fight side by side in 249 single-member election districts across the country.

In the morning of October 10, JCP Chair Shii Kazuo gave a street speech near Shinjuku Station in Tokyo and in the afternoon, he went to Osaka for the campaigning. Shii in his speeches stressed that together with concerned citizens, the party will do its utmost to help bring about the victory of joint opposition candidates. He also said that the JCP will work to increase its number of seats by obtaining 8.5 million votes or 15% of the total in the proportional representation districts as well as by winning seats in single-seat constituencies.

The street speech in Shinjuku was joined by six JCP candidates running in the Tokyo proportional representation block. One of the six candidates, Kasai Akira, who is the JCP Policy Commission Chair, delivered a speech stressing the need to “create a rising tide for a JCP advance in the capital city of Tokyo and the rest of the country”.

In support of the JCP, Translator Ikeda Kayoko stepped up onto the campaign van and said to the audience, “The JCP devoted its best efforts to realize the electoral cooperation among opposition parties. I believe that the JCP is the best choice in the proportional representation block.” A message from Doshisha University Professor Hama Noriko was read out, in which she wrote, “I hope the JCP will play a leading role in championing citizens-centric politics.”

In Naha City in Okinawa, JCP Secretariat Head Koike Akira gave a kick-off speech and called for voters’ support for JCP Akamine Seiken and other “All-Okinawa” candidates. Naha City Mayor Shiroma Mikiko, House of Councilors member Itokazu Keiko, and Okinawa Social Mass Party acting chief Higa Kyoko spoke in support of the four candidates. Okinawa Governor Onaga Takeshi sent a message in solidarity to the street speech event.