Japan Press Weekly

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2015 August 19 - 25 [JCP]

JCP backs antiwar-bills candidate in Iwate gubernatorial election

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on August 19 in Iwate’s Morioka City held a press conference jointly with four other opposition party leaders and announced that the JCP will support an independent candidate for the Iwate gubernatorial election.

Explaining why the JCP decided to not put up its own candidate and to back Tasso Takuya, the incumbent governor seeking for a third term in office, the JCP chair in the press conference raised two points. The first is that the governor has worked to promote reconstruction works from damage caused by the 2011 massive earthquake and tsunami from the viewpoint of victims. For example, the JCP chair cited that the governor has worked to have disaster-affected prefectural hospitals reconstructed, exempted residents from paying fees for medical and nursing care services, and provided subsidies to residents for rebuilding their houses.

Shii went on to say that the second is that Tasso clearly demands the withdrawal of the unconstitutional war bills. Pointing out that the proposed war legislation would open the way for Japan’s unlimited use of armed force abroad, Shii stressed that the party also calls for the scraping of the bills. He added that if Tasso wins the gubernatorial election with his pledge to oppose the war bills, it will have a great significance.

In the press conference, leaders of four other opposition parties -- Okada Katsuya (Democratic Party of Japan), Matsuno Yorihisa (Japan Innovation Party), Yoshida Tadatomo (Social Democratic Party), and Ozawa Ichiro (People’s Life Party) -- expressed their support for Tasso.

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On the day the opening of the gubernatorial election campaign was declared, incumbent Tasso, backed by the five opposition parties, was re-elected unopposed.

As public opposition to the war legislation has been growing stronger, PM Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party finally gave up putting forth a rival candidate.

Tasso told reporters that he will work for another four-year term in order to promote the reconstruction of the disaster-hit regions as well as local development utilizing various resources effectively.

The election campaign officially started on August 20 and the voting day was scheduled for September 6.