Japan Press Weekly

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2019 November 20 - 26 [POLITICS]

Opposition-citizens alliance-backed candidate puts up good fight in Kochi gubernatorial race

In the Kochi gubernatorial election held on November 24, a joint candidate of the anti-Abe opposition parties and concerned citizens, Matsumoto Kenji, who is also a Japanese Communist Party member, fought the good fight against his rival backed by the ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei parties.

Commenting on the election results, Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo said that the joint struggles of opposition parties and concerned citizens in the gubernatorial race have brought about positive results in Kochi as well as in Japan’s politics overall.

Shii pointed out that Matsumoto attracted support from a wide range of voters by calling for establishing a prefectural government which will implement people-oriented policies based on the constitutional principle of local autonomy. “This sets the direction needed to change the prefectural government,” Shii added.

Pointing out that anti-Abe opposition parties united behind Matsumoto, Shii said, “In addition to party leaders, more than 55 Dietmembers of the JCP and other opposition parties visited Kochi to assist in Matsumoto’s election campaign. This great experience can be utilized for the next election.”

Shii expressed his heartfelt gratitude to all the people concerned, including campaign staff, who passionately worked during the election campaign as well as to voters who voted for Matsumoto. He said that the JCP will work hard to carry out Matsumoto’s election promises and further develop joint struggles of opposition parties and concerned citizens.

In the Kochi gubernatorial election, Matsumoto won 111,397 votes and his rival Hamada Seiji, former bureaucrat of the Internal Affairs Ministry, received 173,758 votes. The voter turnout for the election came to 47.67%, the second lowest ever recorded.