SOCIALISTS GAIN SEATS IN JAPANESE ELECTION
In the July 4 elections in Japan to the upper house of parliament the ruling Liberal-Democratic party suffered a decline. Although the vote for the Socialist party remained the same as in 1962, it ~gained a. number of new seats. The largest single vote in Tokyo went to the Communist party candidate Sanzo Nosaka. He won 619,895 votes.
The percentages for the parties was as follows:
Liberal-Democratic party 47.1 44.2
Japan Socialist party 52,8 32.8
Komeito [Clean Government party] 2.6 5.1
Democratic Socialist party oo TLS 6.1
Japan Communist party : " 4,8 6.9
Minor parties. _ 0.2 0.5
Independents 5.2 4.4
Sanzo Nosaka'ts high vote was ascribed to his campaign which centered on an attack against the Liberal Democrats for supporting U.S. policy in Vietnam. He also attacked the agreement negotiated by the Japanese government with South Korea, the basic aim of which is to strengthen U.S. and Japanése imperialism. ©
In a press conference July 6, Kozo Sasaki, chairman of the Japan Socialist party, predicted that within three more elections the Liberal Democratic party will have lost its majority. In that case he will seek the cooperation of other opposition parties who agree with the principles of the JSP to establish a “Socialist Front
Cabinet."
As for immediate plans, the party will launch drives against the Vietnamese war.
It will also organize a huge “people's movement" against ratification of the treaty with South Korea.
The current depression in Japan, he said, is now being felt even in agricultural communities. It must be met, in his opinion, not only with domestic measures but through strict neutrality and a peaceful foreign policy. “hed?
The drive against the imperialist treaty with South Korea promises to be a vigorous one, Sasaki said that the campaign will be pushed jointly with