Japan Press Weekly

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2011 November 23 - 29 [ELECTION]

Widespread ‘No’ to dictatorial rule over Osaka prepares for future struggle: JCP

In the Osaka City mayoral election on November 27, ex-Osaka Prefectural Governor, Hahimoto Toru of the “Osaka Ishin-no-Kai” intending to promote dictatorial rule, was elected.

In the Osaka gubernatorial election held on the same day, Ishin-no-Kai Secretary General Matsui Ichiro won. Gubernatorial candidate Umeda Shoji of the Association for a Bright and Democratic Administration, whom the Japanese Communist Party recommended, failed to be elected.

The local party “Osaka Ishin-no-Kai” occupied both the prefectural governor’s and the city mayor’s seats.

In the mayoral election, a JCP former city assembly member and would-be candidate declared not to run in order to support a united effort to fight against Hashimoto’s candidacy. The JCP recommended incumbent Hiramatsu Kunio.

At a news conference held after the “Osaka Ishin-no-Kai’s” victory was reported, JCP Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi commented on the two elections, saying “The widespread voice of ‘no’ to dictatorial rule among citizens, which increased in a short period though fell short of victory, is valuable as forming a base in preparation for a future struggle.”

He stated that the JCP will further increase its joint efforts with others to not allow Hashimoto to go ahead with his proposed unconstitutional policies.

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Commenting on his party’s victory both in the Osaka gubernatorial and Osaka mayoral elections, Hashimoto Toru said that Osaka City employees who challenged him in the election “should resign from city government.”

He also intimidated local education boards who opposed the ex-governor’s intervention in public schools in a veiled threat by saying, “They should seriously understand what these two results mean.”

These statements already indicate his intent to impose authoritarian rule over the Osaka city and prefectural governments.