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2015 April 22 - 28 TOP3 [JCP]

JCP gains 62 more seats in 2nd half of local elections

In the 2nd-half round of nationwide local elections on April 26, only the Japanese Communist and Liberal Democratic parties increased the number of their seats from the last elections four years ago. The JCP won a total of 1,092 seats, up 62 seats from the previous election. The percentage of JCP members in local assemblies went up to 8.78% from the previous 7.76%. The LDP added 145 seats to its pre-election strength while the Komei Party decreased the number of its seats by 14 and the Democratic Party of Japan by 129. Following the election results, the JCP Standing Executive Committee on April 28 issued a statement.

Following is an excerpt of the statement:

The JCP made a great advance in both the 1st-half and 2nd-half of the nationwide local elections. The JCP Standing Executive Committee would like to express its heartfelt gratitude to all voters who voted for JCP candidates and to all the supporters, campaigners, and JCP members who worked hard to achieve the JCP advance.

During both election campaigns, the JCP focused on linking national government policies with local government policies. At a time when the danger of the Abe administration’s war legislation became a real possibility and began provoking strong public concerns and criticisms, the JCP attracted broad public support and attention.

Following its major advance in the 1st-half of the elections, as a goal for the 2nd-half, the JCP put particular importance on seeking victories of all JCP candidates. It achieved this goal in municipal elections held in 14 prefectures. Efforts made by JCP candidates in their 20s and 30s in the election campaigns provided a breath of fresh air in party activities.

Despite the overall success, the JCP in some electoral districts failed to secure its pre-election strength and decreased the number of votes received. A major cause of this problem is a lack of JCP strength which is often cited as a particular weakness in the party’s election activities. This weakness was reflected in the results of the 2nd-half round. Keeping this firmly in mind, let’s renew our determination to build a stronger JCP.

With its continuing advance since the 2014 general election, the party has succeeded in establishing a new connection with the general public. Utilizing its increased strength, the JCP will continue fighting against the Abe government’s runaway policies and working hard to help develop public movements to protect peace, democracy, and people’s livelihoods.