Tokyo’s Outspoken Governor Is Reelected
Tokyo’s governor won reelection in a race seen as a test of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s economic policies and support for the war in Iraq.
Shintaro Ishihara, 70, defeated four other candidates to win another four-year term, public TV broadcaster NHK said. Ishihara, considered a potential candidate for prime minister, ran as an independent but was endorsed by Koizumi’s party.
The outspoken governor has gained popularity with policies that defy the federal government, such as stricter pollution laws. In addition to 11 gubernatorial races, 2,634 seats were up for grabs in local assemblies.
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