Labourers and Farmers Party
労働者農民党
Rōdōsha Nōmintō
Founded1948
Dissolved1957
Split fromJapan Socialist Party
Merged intoJapan Socialist Party
HeadquartersTokyo

The Labourers and Farmers Party (Japanese: 労働者農民党, Rōdōsha Nōmintō) was a political party in Japan. It was active from 1948 until 1957.

History

The party was established in December 1948 by members of the Socialist Party Orthodox Faction Diet Members' Group, which was formed by 16 National Diet members who had resigned or been expelled from the Japan Socialist Party after voting against the budget proposed by the Democratic Party–Socialist government due to their opposition to an increase in public transport fares.[1] It was particularly well-supported in Okayama and Hokkaido where party president Hisao Kuroda and Haruo Okada were based, and was supported by some members of the National Railwaymen's Union and National Communications Workers' Union.[1]

It won only seven seats in the January 1949 elections, and was further reduced in size by three defections over the party's unclear stance on the Korean War.[1] It won two seats in the 1950 House of Councillors elections, and retained its four remaining seats in the House of Representatives in the 1952 general elections.

In the 1953 elections it won five seats in the House of Representatives, but failed to win a seats in the simultaneous House of Councillors elections. The 1955 elections saw the party reduced to three Diet members and lost its representation in the House of Councillors in the 1956 elections.

The party was dissolved in January 1957 when its 2,000 members joined the Socialist Party.[1]

Election results

House of Representatives

Election Leader Votes  % Seats +/– Position Status
1949 Hisao Kuroda 606,840 1.98
7 / 466
 new 6th Opposition
1952 261,190 0.74
4 / 466
 Decrease 3 Opposition
1953 358,773 1.04
5 / 466
 Increase 1 7th Opposition
1955 357,611 0.97
5 / 467
 Decrease 1 6th Opposition

House of Councillors

Election Leader Constituency Party list Seats Position Status
Votes  % Seats +/- Votes  % Seats +/- Won +/- Total +/-
1950 Ichirō Matsui 471,649 1.63
1 / 76
 new 200,066 0.71
1 / 56
 new
2 / 132
 new
5 / 250
 Decrease 3 6th Opposition
1953 277,442 0.99
0 / 75
 new 112,535 0.42
0 / 53
 new
0 / 128
 new
2 / 250
 Decrease 3 7th Opposition
1956 120,414 0.41
0 / 75
 Decrease 1 181,524 0.63
0 / 53
 Decrease 1
0 / 128
 Decrease 2
0 / 250
 Decrease 2 5th Opposition

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Haruhiro Fukui (1985) Political parties of Asia and the Pacific, Greenwood Press, pp551–552

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