Ousted Mayor, 8 Others File Bids for Ito Mayoral Election

Ito, Shizuoka Pref., Dec. 8 (Jiji Press)–A record nine candidates have filed to run in the upcoming mayoral election in the central Japan city of Ito, Shizuoka Prefecture, following the ouster of former Mayor Maki Takubo over a scandal concerning her academic background. Takubo, 55, is among the candidates. She was removed from office after the city assembly passed a second no-confidence motion against her on Oct. 31. The other candidates include former Mayor Tatsuya Ono, 62, who is endorsed by the Liberal Democratic Party, and former city assembly member Kazuya Sugimoto, 43, supported by the Democratic Party for the People. The mayoral election, scheduled for Sunday, is expected to focus on Takubo’s city administration. If no candidate receives at least a quarter of the total valid votes, a repeat election will be held. In a campaign speech on Sunday, Takubo said that Ito faces many challenges, such as a large-scale solar power project. “We must address them,” she stressed. Ono pledged to leverage his experience and connections for the city, while Sugimoto said he wants to restore normal operations in the city administration and move forward. Takubo was first elected mayor in May. Initially, she claimed to have graduated from Toyo University, but in July, she announced that she had actually been expelled from the university. In September, the city assembly passed a no-confidence motion against her. In response, Takubo dissolved the assembly. Following the subsequent assembly election, the assembly passed a second no-confidence motion. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]