Japan Press Weekly

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2015 April 29 - May 12 [POLITICS]

JCP, LDP, DPJ jointly call for voting ‘No’ on Osaka split-up ballot

There is one week to go until voting day on the plan to dismantle Osaka City and split it into five districts. Dietmembers of the Japanese Communist Party and parliamentarian colleagues of two other political parties gave a joint public speech in the city’s downtown areas on May 10, calling on voters to vote “No” in the referendum.

Sidewalks were flooded with citizens listening to the lawmakers of the JCP, the Liberal Democratic Party, and the Democratic Party of Japan appealing from the same campaign van.

JCP Secretariat Head and member of the House of Councilors Yamashita Yoshiki shouted, “We are rivals in the Diet, but when it comes to the dissolution of this historic city, we come together to defend our city. Cooperation beyond differences in political thoughts holds the very future of Osaka.”

Pointing out that the referendum is asking to abandon the city, JCP member of the House of Representatives Shimizu Tadashi raised his voice and said, “Let us protect our city!”

Currently, Osaka City has the authority and financial resources to provide its own public services in addition to national and prefectural ones. Osaka City Mayor Hashimoto Toru and his local party “Osaka Ishin no Kai” are pushing the so-called “Osaka metropolis” plan which reorganizes the existing city system and transfers the city funds to the Osaka prefectural government. The city will no longer maintain the same services as before if the plan takes effect.

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Meanwhile, some 5,000 citizens held a rally in Ogimachi Park and marched in demonstration through downtown Osaka, calling on voters to save Osaka City.

Banners in the demonstration representing unions and various organizations as well as flags of the JCP, the LDP, and the DPJ were expressing a strong desire to protect the city, irrespective of ideological differences.

Representatives of local shop owners, small- and medium-sized business persons, and a local economy promotion association made speeches at the rally.

JCP member of the Osaka City Assembly Yamanaka Tomoko in her speech said, “Let us defend Osaka as the city delegated many functions and authorities in order to protect local businesses and stores and improve people’s livelihoods and welfare.”

Past related articles:
> Campaign for referendum on Hashimoto’s plan to divide up Osaka City begins [April 27, 2015]
> Progressive forum says ‘No!’ to dividing up of Osaka City [April 16, 2015]
> Osaka’s businesspeople unite to scrap Mayor Hashimoto’s ‘metropolitan Osaka’ plan [March 11, 2015]
> Osaka Mayor Hashimoto busy covering up Osaka ‘metropolis’ plan [March 10, 2015]