Japan Press Weekly

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2017 June 21 - 27 [POLITICS]

Assembly election campaign kicks off in Tokyo

Amid the political turmoil due to PM Abe using instruments of power to benefit his friends and supporters, campaigning for the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election began on June 23. Candidates of political parties, including the Japanese Communist Party, will contest 127 seats in the July 2 election.

The JCP put up its candidates in 37 of the 42 electoral districts and endorsed joint opposition candidates in 5 districts.

Following the campaign kickoff, JCP Chair Shii Kazuo, Secretariat Head Koike Akira, and JCP parliamentarians held street speeches to increase voters’ support for the party. With collaboration of opposition parties and citizens’ groups developing, civil group members and opposition lawmakers joined the JCP candidates’ kick-off speeches to express their support.

Meanwhile, in Liberal Democratic Party candidates’ street campaigns, top government officials, including Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide and Deputy CCS Hagiuda Koichi, who is suspected of being a key player in the “Kake Gakuen” scandal, made no appearance on the grounds of commitment to official duties.

LDP Secretary General Nikai Toshihiro in a street speech supporting an incumbent LDP candidate did not touch on problems in national politics such as the “Kake” and “Moritomo” scandals and the “anti-conspiracy” law controversy and only called on LDP supporters to work hard to attract voters.

At a kick-off rally of the LDP coalition partner Komei Party, the party’s leader Yamaguchi Natsuo also avoided touching on the Abe administration’s handling of key political issues, saying, “To discuss national politics in the metropolitan assembly election campaign would be inappropriate.” He went on to express his support for Governor Koike Yuriko while covering up the fact that the party in the assembly voted for policies putting the promotion of large-scale public works project before the improvement of welfare services.

Regarding the Tsukiji market relocation issue, Yamaguchi said that the governor recognized the renovation of the Tsukiji market to be difficult, and insisted that the market transfer to Toyosu should be carried out.

As the head of the local party “Tomin First no Kai”, Governor Koike delivered a kick-off speech. Without saying anything about controversial issues surrounding the Abe government, Koike complimented her party’s election partner Komei Party for its supportive role. She also sidestepped talking about the policy regarding the Tsukiji relocation issue which she announed three days earlier.

Past related article:
> Tokyo governor’s local party stays silence about ‘Kake Gakuen’ scandal [ June 20, 2017]