Voters entering the voting booth in Musashino City
Voters cast their votes on the 24th in the Musashino mayoral election in Tokyo, following the resignation of former mayor Reiko Matsushita. There was also a city council by-election (two candidates), and voting was held at 23 locations in the city. (Kyota Matsushima, Natsuko Konno)
The mayoral race is between former city councilor Yasuhiro Omino (61), who is an independent newcomer and is recommended by the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito, and former city councilor Sasaoka, who is supported by the Constitutional Democratic Party, Communist Party, Reiwa Shinsengumi, Social Democratic Party, and Musashino Seikatsusha Network. It was a one-on-one battle between Yuko (37), and Omino won in a close race with a difference of 339 votes. Voter turnout was 44.77% (47.46% last time).
Coming out of the voting booth, a 28-year-old office worker said, “I thought about how Musashino City would develop in the long run.I placed particular emphasis on supporting the elderly and focusing on areas such as education.” He said he chose it with an emphasis on policy. A woman (84) expressed her hopes, saying, “I was conscious of whether he would follow through with his policies and whether he was prepared.I want him to listen to the voices of all the citizens and manage the city government.”
On the other hand, there were also voices of dissatisfaction with the lack of candidate options. A 63-year-old self-employed man said, “It’s unfortunate that there were only two candidates, as they were on the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of age, gender, and assertiveness.As they were newcomers, there wasn’t enough evidence to judge them, so it was difficult to choose.” I did,” he recalled.
Self-employed Masashi Koyama (51), who finished voting in the morning, said with a wry smile, “It’s difficult to have an election on Christmas Eve.A lot of people are out and about, so I don’t think the turnout will be that high.” On the other hand, he said that he cast his vote after listening to the street speeches of both candidates, and asked the new city administration to “listen to the voices of each and every one of them, as there are many people who are struggling to make ends meet.”
2023-12-24 22:13:09
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