Japan Press Weekly

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2022 June 1 - 7 TOP3 [POLITICS]

JCP decides not to field candidates in 12 of 32 single-seat constituencies in July Upper House election

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira on June 2 at a press conference in the Diet building announced the party’s decision to refrain from fielding candidates in 12 constituencies, including constituencies in the prefectures of Aomori, Nagano, Ehime, and Okinawa, among the 32 single-seat constituencies in the House of Councilors election this summer.

Koike said that he met with his counterpart in the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Nishimura Chinami, on the previous day to explain this decision.

He said, “I told Nishimura that the JCP is determined to work hard for the victory of pro-constitutional candidates in the 12 constituencies and requested that the CDPJ respond to the JCP’s efforts in these districts based on the principle of mutual respect on an equal footing.”

Regarding the remaining 20 single-member districts, Koike said that the party will put up its own candidates. At the same time, he noted that among the 20 districts, the CDPJ will not run its candidates in five constituencies: Yamagata, Gifu, Wakayama, Kochi/Tokushima, and Oita. He added, “In the meeting with Nishimura, I requested that her party cooperate in the five constituencies as much as possible in order for JCP candidates to win the contested seats.”

Asked by the press about the failure to field unified opposition candidates in all 32 single-seat constituencies, Koike replied, “The JCP has negotiated with the CDPJ in line with the bilateral agreement that the selection of joint opposition candidates will be made preferentially in electoral districts where the opposition force stands a good chance of winning.” He said, “The JCP will continue making all-out efforts so that collaboration between opposition parties and concerned citizens can achieve positive results in the coming election which will help to contribute to success in future elections.”

Past related article:
> Unification of opposition candidates for July Upper House election will be realized only in limited constituencies [May 10, 2022]