Japan Press Weekly

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2015 February 18 - 24 [JCP]

JCP 1st-time candidate ranks 1st in town election

The news about a Japanese Communist Party candidate ending up as the No.1 winner in a small town election in Kumamoto is generating excitement among local newspapers and residents.

Taking the baton from the veteran JCP predecessor, postman-turned Sano Yasuharu ran for the Kosa Town Assembly election on February 15 in Kumamoto. Ten incumbents, two first-timers, and one former assemblyperson contested for 12 seats. Sano received 720 votes or more than 10% of total votes cast and came with the most votes among the 12 winners.

“The ‘all-are-ruling party’ setup has been entrenched” in Kosa Town and “townspeople are voicing the complaint that the assembly does not even hold ordinary discussions” (Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun).

During the election campaign, JCP members in the town criticized the town government for planning to build an unnecessary road at a cost of 600 million yen. The JCP campaigners publicized that if the town stops budgeting 120 million yen additionally for the road, it will be able to cancel the plan to increase national healthcare insurance premiums by 40,000 yen per household.

They also informed the voters of the meaning of the JCP absence in the assembly. They said, “Without the JCP presence, the assembly will give a green light to even problematic projects.”

A resident said to the JCP winner, “I checked in on the JCP on the Internet and I found the JCP is not a party saying ‘No’ to everything.”

The JCP winner, Sano said, “I feel that many of the townspeople increased their understanding of the JCP,” and expressed his determination to convey their demands to the assembly.