16:38 JST, June 21, 2024
The election for Tokyo governor has drawn so many candidates that the official noticeboards for their posters posted around the city do not have enough space to accommodate them all.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Election Commission said it had prepared space for 48 posters, but found that 56 people had applied.
The situation has forced the committee to make the unusual request of asking latecomers – the 49th person onwards to enter the race – to create their own space for their posters at the edge of the boards.
According to the committee, the candidature documents of 48 persons have gone through the pre-screening process as of June 13. While the possibility remained that others might apply, the committee had no plan to increase the number of spots on the boards.
After the start of the official campaign period on Thursday, the committee distributed transparent folders of A3 size (297 mm x 420 mm) to hold posters to the additional candidates, asking them to attach them to the edge of boards with tape or drawing pins. to confirm.
“We apologize to the candidates for the extra work they have to do, but a place has been provided to hang their posters and we believe we have ensured fairness,” a committee official explained.
On Thursday evening, one of the deceased candidates was seen attaching his poster in a clear folder with thumbtacks to the edge of a notice board in the Shinjuku district. With every gust of wind the poster fluttered back and forth, making it difficult to see from the front.
The candidate said he planned to repeat the process on 1,000 message boards in the district, as well as in Suginami Ward and others. “Compared to other candidates, this is clearly unfair,” he said. “Even if it happens later, I want the message boards to get bigger.”
Ritsumeikan University Prof. Hiroshi Komatsu, a constitutional scholar well-versed in voting law, said the solution could lead to inequality.
“The Public Office Election Law stipulates that the establishment of election councils must be done by the Election Commission,” Komatsu said. “Clear directories are at the mercy of wind and rain, so fairness among candidates may not be maintained. There may be doubts as to whether the commission is fulfilling its responsibilities established by law.”
