Japan Press Weekly

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2012 December 5 - 11 [ELECTION]

Agricultural group supports JCP candidates

The Aomori prefectural group of Japan Agricultural Co-operatives on November 30 decided for the first time to give endorsement to Japanese Communist Party candidates for the Lower House election to be held on December 16.

The Central Union of Japan Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu) called on its affiliated organizations to support political parties and candidates who oppose Japan’s entry into the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade pact. Among the 12 candidates backed by the group, JCP former Lower House member Takahashi Chizuko is the only nominee for the proportional representation seat. The party’s four other candidates for single-seat districts are also included in the list of 12. On the other hand, all four candidates of the governing Democratic Party of Japan were left off the list.

A local newspaper carried the story the next day with a headline saying “The prefectural JA-group first recommends JCP.”

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The JCP’s requests for cooperation in the election campaign are being welcomed across the nation by agricultural, forestry and fishery organizations.

In Hokkaido, JCP candidates visited medical associations and agricultural and fishermen’s associations with the party’s posters against the TPP and Akahata extras in their hands. Officials of those groups received the materials and said, “The DPJ is unbearable. Put your posters up on the walls, please.”

In Iwate Prefecture, which was stricken by the massive earthquake and tsunami last year, JCP nominees called on the Hirono Town office. An official of the town said to the visitors, “If Japan participates in the free trade deal, this small town will be ruined. I put my hopes in the JCP to stop the government from joining the TPP negotiations.”

JCP Chiba Prefectural Committee members paid a visit to some branch offices of the local agricultural co-operative. A manager said, “Please give me 10 posters for our five workplaces and 70 handbills for all employees.” At another office, the leaflets were circulated among workers at management request.

When a candidate of the party made a call on agricultural associations in Ishikawa Prefecture, a co-operative chair received the posters and leaflets gladly, saying, “We accept any political party because the farming industry is impartial. Among us, nobody supports the Liberal Democratic Party.” Referring to JCP Chair Shii Kazuo’s speech at the national convention of JA-Zenchu, he added, “I like Shii. His speech moved us all.”