JCP Commendable victory in Local Elections War Bills Protests in Japan

In the second round of Japan's nation-wide local elections voting for which was on April 25, 2,140 JCP candidates were elected, representing an increase of 196 on its result in the 1995 election. Resulting from the two rounds of nationwide local elections, on April 11 and 25, the Japanese Communist Party now has a total of 4,413 local assembly members in prefectural assemblies, major city, designated by ordinance, assemblies and other municipal assemblies. This is the highest position the JCP has ever achieved and in terms of the number of local assembly members, the JCP remains number one. In the elections for city assemblies the JCP won 1,033 seats,representing an increase of 84 on what it won four years ago. As a result, the JCP has overtaken the Liberal Democratic Party which got only 881 seats, 75 less than before.The JCP has won the right in six municipalities to convene the assembly: Komae City, Tokyo; Oi Town, Saitama Prefecture; Heguri Town, Nara Prefecture; Joyo City, Kyoto Prefecture; and Yamashiro Village, Kyoto Prefecture.

The JCP has won the right in over 90 municipalities to introduce a bill.

JCP efforts to win seats in local assemblies in which there were no JCP seats proved successful in 115 municipalities. But the JCP lost its seats in 61 cities, towns and villages.

In Tokyo's 21 ward elections 148 JCP candidates were elected, representing a net increase of two.

In the election for municipal heads, 10 JCP-supported or JCP-recommended candidates were elected. In Kunitachi City, Tokyo, the woman candidate the JCP recommended was victorious.

In Sakakita Village, Nagano Prefecture, a former JCP village assembly member was elected village head, and became the 9th municipal head who is a JCP member.

In Ichikawa Daimon Town, Yamanashi Prefecture, and in Asahi Village, Nagano Prefecture, the JCP has become the only ruling party.

JCP CC Presidium Statement on Result of 2nd Half of Simultaneous Local Elections; 196 Increase in JCP Seats

TOKYO APR 27 JPS -- The Japanese Communist Party Central Committee Standing Presidium published a statement on April 26 on the results of the simultaneous local elections, which is as follows:

1. Following the JCP major advance in the first half of the simultaneous local elections for prefectural assemblies and major city assemblies marking a peak in JCP history, the Japanese Communist Party achieved a major advance also in the second half of the elections for which voting was on April 25 by winning 2,140 seats which represents an increase of 196 seats. The breakdown of this figure is: 1,033 JCP seats in ordinary city assemblies (+84), 148 JCP seats in Tokyo ward assemblies (+2), 959 JCP seats in town and village assemblies (+110). For JCP seats in ordinary city assemblies to now exceed the 1,000 mark, making the JCP the second biggest party next to the Liberal Democratic Party must be described as an important achievement. These 2,140 seats combined with the JCP seats which were not up for election this time means that the JCP now has 4,413 JCP seats in local assemblies, the highest in JCP history.

It is an important fact that in the elections for Adachi Ward Assembly and Komae City Assembly in Tokyo all the JCP candidates were elected and the number of JCP votes increased. These two progressive and democratic local governments in Adachi Ward and Komae City have been subjected in the last two and half years to various unreasonable attacks by reactionary parties and groups, including submission of a motion of no-confidence against Adachi ward mayor. The JCP advance in these local assemblies has created new conditions for developing democratic government in the interests of the residents.

In Sakakita Village, Nagano Prefecture, a JCP member was elected head which means the 9th local government head who is a JCP member. As a result of these simultaneous local elections, there are now 118 local governments throughout Japan in which the JCP is a government party.

The JCP got new seats in 3 prefectures and 115 cities, towns and villages where it had no seats before; but unfortunately the JCP lost seats in 2 prefectures and 61 cities, towns, and villages, which means that the number of local assemblies in which the JCP has no seats is now 55 less.

In the second half of the elections 640 JCP women were elected assembly members. Following the pattern in the first half of the elections, the number of 640 is far higher than the total women assembly members of the five parties, the LDP, the Democratic Party of Japan, the Komei Party, the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party. As the JCP increased its women local assembly members by 103 in these elections, it now has a total of 1,149 women local assembly members, and this is a characteristic of these elections.

The major JCP advance in the second half of these local elections following its advance in the first half represents a nationwide wave of political progress leading up to the 21st century.

In contrast the LDP suffered setbacks in the first and second half of these local elections. The number of seats the LDP has in prefectural assemblies and in ordinary city assemblies is its lowest ever, which represents clear judgment by the voters against them.

The JCP Central Committee Standing Presidium wants to express its heartfelt thanks to all those throughout Japan who voted for the JCP and progressive democratic candidates. The presidium also expresses its gratitude to all JCP members and supporters for the work they did day and night and for their cooperation.

2. In the simultaneous local elections, the JCP called for a fundamental change in local politics away from "all-are-government-parties-politics" which gives priority to major development projects to establish local politics based on putting the interests of residents first. This JCP appeal was warmly welcomed by the people. In particular, the JCP called for a better nursing system for old people in connection with the nursing care insurance law which becomes effective next April, and stressed the great need for ensuring that the system covers everybody who wants nursing care. This call aroused great interest among the people throughout the country.

The JCP again pledges that it will make every possible effort to realize the public promises it made in the election campaign, to establish politics which give priority to living conditions, welfare and children's needs.

3. There are many lessons still to be learned from the first and second rounds of the simultaneous local elections to make from now, JCP activity more effective.

The JCP policy publicity campaign which correctly analyzed the problems of local governments and stressed the importance of focusing on issues from the people's standpoint, on the whole got a very favorable response from the voters. But in some places the JCP failed to make a precise analysis of the position of respective local governments and regional problems and to raise issues clearly and explain the role of the JCP. The JCP's task now is to strengthen its policy-making capacity as a whole.

The Liberal Democratic Party, the Komei Party and others conducted an extraordinary anti-communist campaign, with the distribution of demagogic anti-communist leaflets. The JCP quickly published leaflets to refute them, and countered them based on progressive valiant spirit. Such anti-communist attacks, which were reinforced in these local elections, are based on the crisis atmosphere they are faced with following the repeated JCP advances in the recent elections. In order to achieve the goal of a progressive change in politics, the JCP must see as a new and substantial task the defeat of such anti-communist attacks.

It is also a matter of serious concern that the JCP suffered some setbacks by not getting JCP candidates elected in some constituencies where it stood many candidates; the JCP made mistakes on this in 2 prefectural assembly elections in the first round; and in 30 cities, 4 wards and 9 town assembly elections in the second. Most of these are attributed to the insufficient exercising of its full potential, and lessons must be drawn from this for the future.

The JCP, based on its major achievements in the simultaneous local elections and the lessons drawn from them, resolves to make greater efforts to achieve further advances in national and local politics.