Local elections are being held across the country. They are important as a key to foresee the scheduled July election of the House of Councilors. Five days are left until balloting on Sunday. As the first half of the nationwide elections have finished, at the moment the latter phase is open to municipalities. By-elections are held in Osaka and Okinawa for the House of Representatives, with a voting day set on the same day, April 21. Contests are going in the constituencies. The New Socialist Party (NSP) works hard to gain seats for all candidates it fields, struggling until ballot boxes are closed.

LET’S FIGHT FOR LATTER HALF OF LOCAL ELECTIONS TO PREPARE UPPER HOUSE ELECTION

Governors were elected in the first stage of the local elections, which showed weakness of constitutional opposition parties. In Hokkaido where two candidates contested in rivalry between the ruling and progressive opposition blocs, the government forces of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Komeito enjoyed victory. Governor and Mayor were elected simultaneously in Osaka and the Ishin-no-kai Party gained overwhelming victory. The political entity won in the prefectural assembly, too. Opposition forces supported candidates of the LDP-Komeito coalition to counter the Ishin group.

Consciousness as Sovereign Voter - Low

A low turnout rate in the elections should be overcome. Voters are unaware of a prospect that his/her vote should decide on politics and ruling power. This is our first task.

The defeat is attributed to the progressive opposition bloc; mass movements are weak and policies are unappealing. A worker affiliated to a local trade union said; ‘leftist people are not confident enough. Their explanation ends with Article Nine of the constitution, a war-renouncing provision, and opposition to nuclear power generation. This rhetoric does not work on 50 million voters who fail to go to polling stations’. These words are crucial.

Attractive policies

Why is the Ishin-no-kai group, or the Japan Innovation Party, strong in the Kansai area, in Osaka, especially?

Osaka is the second largest city in Japan, but its economy is fatigued and people’s life is worsening. The Ishin group proposes a plan called, the Osaka Metropolitan Initiative, emphasizing the plight and having voters expect vitality and growth, criticizing overconcentration of Tokyo.  

How do we talk to voters who are reluctant to cast a ballot, which occupies over a half of the electorate? This is the second task. People suffer from poverty and social gaps and expect for economic growth.

For instance, a piece of advice, ‘you should quit the job’, does not work, if students and workers are employed by a rogue company which exploits them, for instance, unpaid overwork, harassments, and etc. A problem lies in how they get free from the status of a wage slave.

A wage-hike campaign, which used to be the labor’s major duty, is insufficient. Social safety schemes are urgently needed in which a worker can reject an illegitimate job. For example in Japan only 20% of the unemployed receive allowances, while in Europe, the rate is 80%. The same is true for life protection services. The social security programs in Europe alleviate suffers of wage slaves and sustain their living conditions.

Concrete policies are necessary

Municipal elections are in the closest contact with voters, and therefore, concrete solutions are essential. Issues on the constitution and the consumption tax are important. If we stay, however, around these domains, the above-mentioned opinion of a worker cannot be answered and neither can we know what residents expect.

Results of local elections reflect on the Upper House election, and so we must fight until the final moment of campaign in order to win. The efforts and dedication serve the NSP to keep struggling.

Let’s fight together with opposition parties and civic groups

The Upper House election is scheduled in July. We must field candidates in cooperation with opposition parties and citizens’ groups. Time is limited. The government may set simultaneous elections of both of the two Houses by way of dissolution of the Lower House. In order to cope with the situation, we must unify a candidate for the House of Representatives in the small constituencies.

April 16, 2019