Japan Press Weekly

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2016 June 22 - 28 [POLITICS]

4 opposition parties agree to field joint candidate in Tokyo gubernatorial race

The secretaries-general of the Japanese Communist Party and three other opposition parties on June 21 held a meeting in the Diet building and agreed to field a joint candidate in the upcoming Tokyo gubernatorial election.

Tokyo Governor Masuzoe Yoichi resigned on that day due to a series of political funds scandals he was involved in. The gubernatorial race is scheduled for July 31.

At the meeting, the four representatives reached an agreement that they will point out the fact that the ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei parties helped bring to power two metropolitan governors in succession who were driven to resign due to money scandals and that the four opposition parties will together put up a candidate capable of reforming the metropolitan government. They also confirmed that in the Upper House election campaign to be kicked off on June 22, the four opposition parties will work together toward achieving the victory of the joint candidates they are endorsing in the 32 single-seat constituencies being contested across the country.

At a joint news conference after the meeting, JCP Secretariat Head Koike Akira said that the JCP will make its utmost efforts so that joint opposition candidates will win in both the Upper House and Tokyo gubernatorial elections.

Past related article:
> Tokyo Governor Masuzoe resigns over political money scandals [ June 16, 2016]