Anti-U.S. Base Okinawans Seen Fielding Tamaki in Governor Poll

August 20, 2018

Naha, Okinawa Pref.- Opponents of a planned U.S. base relocation within Okinawa Prefecture are in the final stages of work to field Denny Tamaki, currently a House of Representatives lawmaker, in the Sept. 30 gubernatorial election, informed sources said Monday.

The anti-U.S. base "All Okinawa" camp will formally ask Tamaki, who belongs to the opposition Liberal Party, to run for the governorship of the southern prefecture, once he is ready, according to the sources. Tamaki is believed to be positive about accepting the offer.

Tamaki is one of two figures named by the late Governor Takeshi Onaga as his preferred successor candidates before he died of cancer on Aug. 8. The other is local businessman Morimasa Goya.

Onaga led opposition to the plan to build a new U.S. base in the Henoko coastal area of Nago to transfer the functions of the Marine Corps' Futenma air base in a densely populated district in Ginowan.

After his voice recordings mentioning the two successor candidates came to light on Sunday, the All Okinawa camp, which supported Onaga in the 2014 governorship poll, asked the pair about their intentions. Tamaki told the camp that he took seriously the final wishes of Onaga, while Goya suggested that he was reluctant to run, the sources said.

Meanwhile, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, Komeito, are slated to decide soon to endorse Atsushi Sakima, who resigned as mayor of Ginowan last week to run in the gubernatorial election.

"Various local issues, especially regional economic growth and welfare services, are expected to a focus (of the Okinawa election)," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters during his visit to the northern prefecture of Hokkaido on Monday.

Over the base relocation plan, the Okinawa prefectural government is poised to proceed with the late governor's plan to revoke its permission for land reclamation in Henoko, issued by his predecessor.

"We're closely watching the overall situation before deciding when to repeal the permission," Deputy Governor Kiichiro Jahana, who has taken over the governor's authority for the move, as wished by Onaga, told a press conference at the prefectural office on Monday. Jiji Press