Japan Press Weekly

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2013 September 25 - October 1 [ELECTION]

JRP’s defeat in Osaka is prologue to its breakup: some Dietmembers predict

The Japan Restoration Party’s defeat in a mayoral election in Osaka indicates “the prologue to the party’s breakup,” some parliamentarians of other parties predicted.

In the mayoral election of Sakai City in Osaka Prefecture on September 29, incumbent Takeyama Osami beat the JRP candidate. This marked the JRP’s first defeat in municipal heads elections in Osaka since its founding in 2010.

With the election result, JRP Co-leader Hashimoto Toru has lost his “centripetal force for the reorganization of opposition parties,” said a member of the Your Party, which was seeking cooperation with the JRP a year ago.

He went on to say, “This could lead to the spread of doubts over Hashimoto’s leadership in the next simultaneous local elections scheduled to be held in 18 months and the national election in three years, and then to the party’s breakup.”

A Dietmember of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party pointed out that the JRP’s defeat on its home turf is significant.

Pointing out that those who had left the LDP to join the JRP will probably leave the party one after another, the LDP member said, “Once losing momentum in Osaka, it will be almost impossible for the JRP to regain its strength.”

Meanwhile, seeking to cooperate with the JRP for the adverse revision of the Constitution, some senior officials of the LDP expressed their hope for the JRP to maintain the certain presence.

Another LDP member, however, said, “Since only eight JRP candidates won the House of Councilors election (in July), the LDP has greatly diminished its expectations for the JRP.”