ID :
66527
Fri, 06/19/2009 - 09:02
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/66527
The shortlink copeid
Campaigning commences for Shizuoka gubernatorial race+
SHIZUOKA, Japan, June 18 Kyodo -
Official campaigning for the Shizuoka gubernatorial election started Thursday,
with both the ruling and opposition parties fielding candidates ahead of the
vote on July 5.
The four candidates in the race, considered a bellwether for the upcoming
general election, are former upper house member Toru Unno, 60, Heita Kawakatsu,
60, who is backed by the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan and two
other opposition parties, Sadayoshi Hirano, 59, of the Japanese Communist
Party, and Yukiko Sakamoto, 60, who is supported by the ruling Liberal
Democratic Party and its junior coalition ally, the New Komeito party.
The focus of the election is on whether the ruling bloc can recover from recent
losses in mayoral elections in Nagoya, Saitama and Chiba or if the DPJ will
gain momentum to bring about a change of government at the House of
Representatives election.
The outcome of the race is also likely to affect Prime Minister Taro Aso's
decision on when to dissolve the lower house for the general election.
The election was called after Gov. Yoshinobu Ishikawa resigned in response to a
demand from a landowner that he step down in exchange for the removal of trees
near the runway of Shizuoka airport, which had kept the airport from opening.
Sakamoto, a former House of Councillors member who has secured the backing of
Ishikawa, vowed at a rally to kick off her campaign in the city of Shizuoka to
improve medical and welfare services.
Kawakatsu, an economist and former head of Shizuoka University of Art and
Culture, pledged at his rally to resolve the prefecture's 2.3 trillion yen
deficit within his four-year term.
Unno said he will cut the prefectural tax by 10 percent while Hirano said he
will stop large construction projects and use the funds to improve people's
everyday lives.
Campaigning for the Hyogo gubernatorial election on July 5 also kicked off the
same day.
Kotaro Tanaka, 60, endorsed by the JCP, is running against incumbent Gov.
Toshizo Ido, 63, who is backed by the LDP, Komeito and the Social Democratic
Party.
==Kyodo