Okinawa District’s 4 Lower House Parliamentary Elections go 3-1 in favor of opposition parties, with Akamine, Nishime, Tamaki, and Teruya winning seats

 

October 23, 2017 Ryukyu Shimpo

 

The 48th Lower House elections were held on October 22, and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) were able to independently win more than the 233 seats needed for a majority in the 465-seat Parliamentary house, and decided to continue the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Seiken Akamine (center) celebrating his victory with supporters. October 22, Naha

Social Democratic Party incumbent Kantoku Teruya, 72, was re-elected to his seat in the No. 2 electoral district.

 

In the No. 1 district, where the vote was delayed until the October 23 in Zamami with typhoon No. 21 approaching, Japanese Communist Party incumbent Seiken Akamine, 69, was re-elected. In the No. 3 district, which includes Uruma, where voting was also delayed, Independent incumbent Denny Tamaki, 58, was re-elected. Lastly, in the No. 4 district, where voting was delayed in Nanjo, LDP candidate Kosaburo Nishime, 63, regained his seat. Three of the four district winners were part of the “All Okinawa” faction, which opposes the new base construction in Henoko.

Kantoku Teruya (center) celebrating his victory with supporters. October 22, Ginowan

While the camp hoped to make a strong statement against the base construction with election victories, their inability to capture all of Okinawa’s seats left the movement showing some cracks.

 

 

Liberal Democratic Party incumbent Konosuke Kokuba, 44, and Japan Innovation Party candidate Mikio Shimoji, 56, both who lost to Akamine in the No. 1 district, recaptured their seats in the Kyushu proportional bloc.

 

Voter participation increased 4.02 points compared to the 2014 elections to 56.38%, barely escaping a second straight year of historically low turnout.

 

In the No. 1 district, Akamine was one of the first proponents of the “All Okinawa” framework in support of Governor Takeshi Onaga, winning for the second straight time the single seat district for the Communist Party.

Denny Tamaki (center)celebrating his victory with supporters. October 22, Okinawa

 

In the No. 2 district, Teruya brought out his reformist base in addition to a healthy amount of conservatives and moderates, coasting to an easy victory.

 

In the No. 3 district, Tamaki ran as an independent due to the reorganization of the opposition party coalition, but from the support he gained from voters opposed to Henoko base construction, he enjoyed a lead from the early stage

s of the race.

Kosaburo Nishime (center) celebrating his victory with supporters. October 22, Haebaru

 

In the No. 4 district, Nishime leaned on strong party support and his experience as Senior Vice Minister, and earned the support of his district’s mayors, taking the election.

 

(English translation by T&CT and Sam Grieb)

 

Go to Japanese


　


Previous Article:
Next Article:

[Similar Articles]