Japan Press Weekly

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2011 February 9 - 15 [ELECTION]

JCP Koike to run for Tokyo governor

Former Japanese Communist Party Dietmember Koike Akira (Policy Commission Chair) on February 9 announced that he will run in the Tokyo gubernatorial election to be held on April 10 as a progressive independent candidate supported by the JCP.

At a press conference, Koike pointed out that during the past 12 years, Governor Ishihara Shintaro, in disregard of his responsibility to protect jobs and support Tokyo citizens’ livelihoods, has reduced the rate of spending for social welfare for the elderly and general education to the lowest level among 47 prefectures. He criticized Governor Ishihara for squandering tax money on large-scale development projects and on the bailout of a bank established under Ishihara’s initiative. Koike also criticized the luxurious overseas trips Ishihara repeatedly made, describing them as the use of public funds for private interests.

Koike said that he will “establish a welfare-friendly Tokyo, a city which protects people’s lives and health” by reconstructing medical, nursing-care, and welfare services, decreasing the poverty rate, increasing job opportunities, revitalizing local economies, and securing financial resources by stopping the wasteful use of tax money.

Expressing his determination to win, Koike stated, “In Tokyo, I want to achieve a government which fully complies with Article 9 and 25 of the Japanese Constitution. I will change the Tokyo government in order to change Japanese politics starting from the capital city of Tokyo.”

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On the following day, Koike signed a policy agreement with the Association for a Progressive Metropolitan Administration to run as a candidate in the Tokyo gubernatorial election. The association, in which the Japanese Communist Party takes part, will field Koike as its candidate in the election.

In the agreement, the association and Koike state that they will work hard to achieve the association’s basic policy goal of “preventing any further increase in the poverty rate, fully utilizing Article 9 of the Constitution, and creating a new welfare-friendly city Tokyo”.

The policy agreement contains three objectives:
- achieve a “new welfare-friendly metropolitan administration” which prioritizes Tokyo citizens’ lives and livelihoods;
- review the current economic and development policies in favor of large corporations with the use of large amounts of tax money for large-scale developments;
- create an open Tokyo government which complies with Article 9 of the Constitutions and puts people first.

After signing the agreement, Koike said, “I’m honored to receive favorable responses to the announcement of my candidacy in the Tokyo governor’s race. If I become Tokyo’s next governor, it will bring a big change on the politics which can shake the world. I want to win the election in collaboration with people in various fields.”