TOKYO -- The Japanese Communist Party (JCP) fielded 213 candidates in single-seat constituencies in the Oct. 27 House of Representatives election, close to double its force in the previous general election in 2021, and attempted to snare proportional representation votes, but was unable to increase its strength.

In the nation's 50th lower house election, with 289 electoral district seats and 176 proportional representation block seats up for grabs, the JCP won a total of eight seats, fewer than the 10 it had before the election. It held onto its only constituency seat in the Okinawa No. 1 electoral district.

It was the first full-scale national election for the JCP under the leadership of party chair Tomoko Tamura, who rose to the party's helm in January this year. On election night, as the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) appeared set to lose a large number of seats, Tamura emphasized that the party's official newspaper, Akahata, had dug up details on the slush fund scandal that rocked the LDP and stated, "The facts exposed by the JCP and Akahata have contributed greatly to the overall election situation."

However, the previous line of forming a united front with other opposition parties has stalled. The collaboration started from opposition parties' united objection to security-related legislation that granted Japan the right to exercise collective self-defense in a limited scope, passed in 2015 under the second administration of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. However, in the leadership race of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) in September, Yoshihiko Noda, who went on to be elected party leader, and other members suggested that they would stand behind the security legislation. This drew a backlash from the JCP, which commented that the foundation of their joint struggle for abolishment of the security-related laws had collapsed. From that point onward the JCP successively fielded its own candidates, including in constituencies where CDP candidates were standing.

After the leadership race, Noda and others suggested that opposition parties unite behind a single candidate in constituencies where legislators involved in the LDP's slush fund scandal were standing, but Tamura refused to accept the proposal, saying that the issue of abolishing the security laws stood on a "different dimension."

At the same time the JCP underscored its stance of respecting collaboration at the regional level, as it has continued to do. In the Okinawa No. 1 electoral district, the party continued its joint fight with the CDP and the Social Democratic Party. In some Tokyo consitituencies, the JCP did not field its own candidates, instead supporting CDP candidates. In the July Tokyo gubernatorial election, the JCP had supported Renho alongside the CDP.

The CDP, the Democratic Party for the People and other parties seeking a change in the administration took the view that the LDP would lose many seats in the lower house election, and they were strongly mindful of presenting realistic policies on security, energy and other areas. Even without putting up a joint fight with the JCP, the CDP was able to surge ahead. The question going forward will be what kind of relationship the JCP will build with other opposition parties.

Tamura stated, "I will pour all my effort into fulfilling our election pledges. I want to do my best to align myself with the interests of the people."

(Japanese original by Akiko Kato, Political News Department)