Incumbent Shiga Gov. Kunimatsu reelected.
OTSU, Japan, July 8 KyodoIncumbent Gov. Yoshitsugu Kunimatsu won reelection by trouncing three challengers in Sunday's Shiga prefectural gubernatorial election for a second four-year term, according to official returns.
Kunimatsu, 64, garnered 285,002 votes, compared with 88,636 votes for Yoshihiro Tanimoto, 63, adviser to the Shiga chapter of the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren), 9,556 votes for Masakazu Yamanaka, 48, a former company employee, and 6,642 votes for Kingo Takada, 47, a farmer.
The lack of issues apparently made the election a vote of confidence for Kunimatsu. He said in the prefectural capital of Otsu that the election results demonstrate that the people of the western Japan prefecture approve of his achievements over the last four years.
None of the four candidates ran on an official party ticket, although Kunimatsu received support from the three ruling parties -- the Liberal Democratic Party, the New Komeito party and the New Conservative Party -- as well as from the opposition Democratic Party of Japan and the Social Democratic Party.
About 260 groups and associations rallied behind Kunimatsu, a former prefectural official in charge of general affairs and health and welfare matters, who has promoted preserving Lake Biwa and improving a welfare program for the handicapped.
Tanimoto was backed by the Japanese Communist Party.
Voter turnout was at an all-time low of 38.67%, topping the previous record of 43.27% in the 1990 gubernatorial election.
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| Publication: | Japan Policy & Politics |
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| Date: | Jul 15, 2002 |
| Words: | 237 |
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