ID :
68985
Sat, 07/04/2009 - 00:00
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/68985
The shortlink copeid
Tokyo assembly election begins in run-up to general election+
TOKYO, July 3 Kyodo -
Official campaigning began Friday for the July 12 Tokyo metropolitan assembly
election, widely seen as a bellwether for the upcoming general election to be
held by October, with 221 people filing their candidacies to vie for the 127
seats.
The focus is on whether the ruling bloc of the Liberal Democratic Party and the
New Komeito party will retain its majority or if the opposition Democratic
Party of Japan will become the leading party, boosting expectations that it can
win the general election and bring about a change of government.
It is widely expected that Prime Minister Taro Aso will seek an early
dissolution of the House of Representatives for the national election if the
ruling coalition secures a majority, while its defeat could lead the LDP to
hold a presidential election to replace Aso as its head prior to the lower
house race.
Of the 221 candidates, a record 52 are women. The LDP and DPJ each officially
endorsed 58 candidates, New Komeito 23, the Japanese Communist Party 40, Tokyo
Seikatsusha Network five and the Social Democratic Party two.
Currently, 48 assembly members belong to the LDP, 34 to the DPJ, 22 to New
Komeito, 13 to the Japanese Communist Party, four to Tokyo Seikatsusha Network,
and four are independents. Two seats are vacant.
Both ruling and opposition parties have arranged national election-level forces
for the high-profile race, in which the local government's bid to host the 2016
Olympic Games and its relocation plan for the Tsukiji fish market are among
major points of contention.
Kick-starting the nine-day campaign, Prime Minister Taro Aso gave speeches in
Ome city and Bunkyo Ward in which he said that while the DPJ may be aiming to
change the government, ''the point is what they will do after winning power?''
Aso said he has concentrated on economic measures since taking office in
September and stressed ''the achievements'' made, saying the government had
compiled budgets four times during the six months which resulted in rises in
stock prices and economic indicators.
''What will the DPJ do if they realize a change of government? I don't know
their goals,'' Aso said, adding an LDP retreat is likely to lead to ''a retreat
of the economy.''
DPJ leader Yukio Hatoyama galvanized voters at the Tsukiji market in Tokyo's
Chuo Ward, appealing to them to ''put control of Tokyo and Japan back into the
hands of the people through the DPJ.''
Hatoyama noted that more than 100 people are killing themselves in Japan every
day amid the sharp economic downturn and blasted the government for ''doing
nothing'' to save human lives.
''They're only enthusiastic about white elephant facility construction
projects,'' he said. ''With your courage, let's realize a government that will
not waste even a single life.''
''Today, we can see the dawn before a new government is created that will
prioritize people over concrete,'' the opposition leader said.
The planned relocation of the Tsukiji market in 2014 to a nearby site where the
soil is feared to be polluted has stirred controversy.
New Komeito party leader Akihiro Ota criticized Hatoyama while addressing
hundreds of supporters in front of a train station in Arakawa Ward.
While referring to a recent scandal over the falsification of political fund
reports related to the DPJ leader, Ota said, ''People probably expect nothing
from the opposition group led by the DPJ, which doesn't work, hasn't achieved
anything and is not trustworthy.''
JCP chief Kazuo Shii stressed in his campaign speech in Suginami Ward that it
is necessary to promote welfare, and SDP leader Mizuho Fukushima said in Ota
Ward, ''The time has come to change politics...We need to spend money not on
building roads but on childcare, medical and nursing fields.''
Other major issues in the campaign include sloppy management of Shinginko
Tokyo, a struggling bank owned primarily by the Tokyo metropolitan government.
The bank began operating in 2005 on a policy initiative led by Tokyo Gov.
Shintaro Ishihara to provide financing mainly to credit-starved small
businesses. It has been in the red since its launch. The Tokyo government has
invested about 140 billion yen in the troubled bank.
As the party leaders come to the fore in the campaign ahead of the House of
Representatives election, some of the 10 million voters in the capital see the
assembly election as a preliminary skirmish for the general election.
''I see the assembly election as almost equal to the lower house election,''
46-year-old company worker Naoko Nakade said. ''But it is difficult to decide
who to vote for because the LDP and the DPJ both have problems.''
''I'd like to vote for a candidate from a party that says it will eliminate the
practice of 'amakudari,''' she said in Bunkyo Ward, referring to a system that
enables senior bureaucrats to land lucrative post-retirement jobs at entities
related to the sectors they formerly supervised. She also said she is more
focused on national matters than local issues.
But another voter expressed a different view.
''The Tokyo assembly election is not related to the general election,'' said
Kaoru Matsumoto, 58. ''I would like to vote for a person who is reliable and
listens to local people's views,'' she said, adding she will decide who to vote
for on the basis of the candidate's personality rather than which party he or
she belongs to.
To boost public support for the LDP, Aso has visited almost all of its
candidates' campaign offices, an unconventional move for a party leader.
As the LDP has experienced consecutive losses in major local elections
recently, some party lawmakers have argued that Aso should step down if the LDP
suffers another loss in the metropolitan assembly race.
Even if the LDP succeeds in retaining its majority with the New Komeito party,
moves within the party to oust Aso could strengthen if the LDP fails to
maintain its position as the leading party.
Aso has tried to downplay the importance of the assembly election, saying at a
press conference, ''A local election is a local election. It's different from a
national election...I don't think it will influence national politics,''
suggesting he would not need to take responsibility if the party is defeated.
==Kyodo
Official campaigning began Friday for the July 12 Tokyo metropolitan assembly
election, widely seen as a bellwether for the upcoming general election to be
held by October, with 221 people filing their candidacies to vie for the 127
seats.
The focus is on whether the ruling bloc of the Liberal Democratic Party and the
New Komeito party will retain its majority or if the opposition Democratic
Party of Japan will become the leading party, boosting expectations that it can
win the general election and bring about a change of government.
It is widely expected that Prime Minister Taro Aso will seek an early
dissolution of the House of Representatives for the national election if the
ruling coalition secures a majority, while its defeat could lead the LDP to
hold a presidential election to replace Aso as its head prior to the lower
house race.
Of the 221 candidates, a record 52 are women. The LDP and DPJ each officially
endorsed 58 candidates, New Komeito 23, the Japanese Communist Party 40, Tokyo
Seikatsusha Network five and the Social Democratic Party two.
Currently, 48 assembly members belong to the LDP, 34 to the DPJ, 22 to New
Komeito, 13 to the Japanese Communist Party, four to Tokyo Seikatsusha Network,
and four are independents. Two seats are vacant.
Both ruling and opposition parties have arranged national election-level forces
for the high-profile race, in which the local government's bid to host the 2016
Olympic Games and its relocation plan for the Tsukiji fish market are among
major points of contention.
Kick-starting the nine-day campaign, Prime Minister Taro Aso gave speeches in
Ome city and Bunkyo Ward in which he said that while the DPJ may be aiming to
change the government, ''the point is what they will do after winning power?''
Aso said he has concentrated on economic measures since taking office in
September and stressed ''the achievements'' made, saying the government had
compiled budgets four times during the six months which resulted in rises in
stock prices and economic indicators.
''What will the DPJ do if they realize a change of government? I don't know
their goals,'' Aso said, adding an LDP retreat is likely to lead to ''a retreat
of the economy.''
DPJ leader Yukio Hatoyama galvanized voters at the Tsukiji market in Tokyo's
Chuo Ward, appealing to them to ''put control of Tokyo and Japan back into the
hands of the people through the DPJ.''
Hatoyama noted that more than 100 people are killing themselves in Japan every
day amid the sharp economic downturn and blasted the government for ''doing
nothing'' to save human lives.
''They're only enthusiastic about white elephant facility construction
projects,'' he said. ''With your courage, let's realize a government that will
not waste even a single life.''
''Today, we can see the dawn before a new government is created that will
prioritize people over concrete,'' the opposition leader said.
The planned relocation of the Tsukiji market in 2014 to a nearby site where the
soil is feared to be polluted has stirred controversy.
New Komeito party leader Akihiro Ota criticized Hatoyama while addressing
hundreds of supporters in front of a train station in Arakawa Ward.
While referring to a recent scandal over the falsification of political fund
reports related to the DPJ leader, Ota said, ''People probably expect nothing
from the opposition group led by the DPJ, which doesn't work, hasn't achieved
anything and is not trustworthy.''
JCP chief Kazuo Shii stressed in his campaign speech in Suginami Ward that it
is necessary to promote welfare, and SDP leader Mizuho Fukushima said in Ota
Ward, ''The time has come to change politics...We need to spend money not on
building roads but on childcare, medical and nursing fields.''
Other major issues in the campaign include sloppy management of Shinginko
Tokyo, a struggling bank owned primarily by the Tokyo metropolitan government.
The bank began operating in 2005 on a policy initiative led by Tokyo Gov.
Shintaro Ishihara to provide financing mainly to credit-starved small
businesses. It has been in the red since its launch. The Tokyo government has
invested about 140 billion yen in the troubled bank.
As the party leaders come to the fore in the campaign ahead of the House of
Representatives election, some of the 10 million voters in the capital see the
assembly election as a preliminary skirmish for the general election.
''I see the assembly election as almost equal to the lower house election,''
46-year-old company worker Naoko Nakade said. ''But it is difficult to decide
who to vote for because the LDP and the DPJ both have problems.''
''I'd like to vote for a candidate from a party that says it will eliminate the
practice of 'amakudari,''' she said in Bunkyo Ward, referring to a system that
enables senior bureaucrats to land lucrative post-retirement jobs at entities
related to the sectors they formerly supervised. She also said she is more
focused on national matters than local issues.
But another voter expressed a different view.
''The Tokyo assembly election is not related to the general election,'' said
Kaoru Matsumoto, 58. ''I would like to vote for a person who is reliable and
listens to local people's views,'' she said, adding she will decide who to vote
for on the basis of the candidate's personality rather than which party he or
she belongs to.
To boost public support for the LDP, Aso has visited almost all of its
candidates' campaign offices, an unconventional move for a party leader.
As the LDP has experienced consecutive losses in major local elections
recently, some party lawmakers have argued that Aso should step down if the LDP
suffers another loss in the metropolitan assembly race.
Even if the LDP succeeds in retaining its majority with the New Komeito party,
moves within the party to oust Aso could strengthen if the LDP fails to
maintain its position as the leading party.
Aso has tried to downplay the importance of the assembly election, saying at a
press conference, ''A local election is a local election. It's different from a
national election...I don't think it will influence national politics,''
suggesting he would not need to take responsibility if the party is defeated.
==Kyodo
