2024-04-25 21:00:00
In the Tokyo 15th Ward (Koto Ward) by-election for the House of Representatives, which will be held on the 28th, the Liberal Democratic Party has decided not to win and nine members of the non-ruling party are in the running . Supporters of the Liberal Democratic Party, which has won the last two elections to the House of Representatives, have expressed uncertainty regarding where to vote, and voters critical of the administration have more options than ever. Voter turnout is also likely to attract attention. (Rina Suzuki, Chitomo Miyake, Masanori Inoue)
◆”I guess you can’t decide until the very end…”
The 15th ward constitutes a single-member constituency for the entire Koto ward. Turnout in the last three House of Representatives elections was around 50%, surpassing that of Tokyo as a whole.
The number of voters in the first five days (17th to 21st) of early voting for the by-election was 13,699. Compared to the same period in previous elections to the House of Representatives, this figure was more higher than in 2014 (8,171 people) and 2017 (11,294 people), but it was down by 6,114 people from the previous House of Representatives elections in 2021.
“I think everyone is undecided until the very end.” A 60-year-old trader said he was still worried regarding where to vote.
◆“Defeat by default” The Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito took no notable action
The by-election is due to the resignation of former Deputy Justice Minister Mizutaka Kakizawa as a Diet member due to a violation of the Public Election Law regarding the election of the mayor of the district of Koto. In the 15th Ward, a strong support organization known as the “Kakizawa Party,” which was established under his father, former Foreign Minister Koji Kakizawa, is in full swing every election, but no notable movements took place this year. time.
Voters cast their ballots at an early voting station in Tokyo’s Koto Ward on the 24th.
Shota Sasai (22), an office worker who voted early, said, “It seems like there were a lot of people who supported Mr. Kakizawa because of their local connections. I don’t know who to vote for because there are so many new people.” Right? An 80-year-old local man who also finished voting said: “The elections will not be exciting because the Liberal Democratic Party has not fielded a candidate. »
A Liberal Democratic Party official said: “I think there are people who say they don’t have anyone to register because our organization is not active. Komeito officials, who have not yet taken a stand with the Liberal Democratic Party, also share a similar view.
◆The budget for the Koto district by-election is approximately 166 million yen.
In Koto district, elections were held following the unified elections held in April last year, followed by the mayoral election in December following the resignation of the former mayor following an incident during which he violated the law on public elections. According to the district’s election office, the district’s mayoral election last December cost regarding 158 million yen. The budget for this by-election is approximately 166 million yen. An electoral commission official is concerned regarding the drop in voter turnout and says: “By-elections are not a hot topic nationally. There may also be a distrust of politics.”
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