Signature collection progressing in Yokosuka for referendum on U.S. nuclear-powered carrier homeporting

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Signature collection progressing in Yokosuka for referendum on U.S. nuclear-powered carrier homeporting

A signature collection drive is underarkay in Yokosuka City in Kanagawa Prefecture, petitioning the city to enact an ordinance to conduct a referendum on the planned permanent deployment of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington to the U.S. Yokosuka Naval Base in June 2008.

The Japanese government, the Kanagawa governor, and the Yokosuka mayor have accepted the U.S. plan to use the base as the homeport of the nuclear-powered carrier replacing the currently deployed conventional aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk.

"It is the residents of Yokosuka who should decide whether the deployment of the U.S. nuclear-powered carrier to Yokosuka is acceptable. We call on each resident to express their opinion on this issue in the referendum."

In the two weeks since the start of the campaign, the number of eligible voters entrusted with collecting signatures surpassed 2,000. These grass-roots activists include scholars, priests, artists, residential association chairs, and shopkeepers.

Local communities taking part

It is unprecedented for Yokosuka City residents to demand the enactment of such an ordinance.

The one-month-long signature collection drive will end on December 10. At least 7,200 signatures, one fiftieth of the 360,000 eligible voters of Yokosuka, are needed for the petition to take effect.

Yokosuka is a military city. In some districts of the city, residents in concert have begun collecting signatures for the referendum.

In the Iwato and Oyabe districts located several kilometers south of the naval base, local residents formed a group to discuss the homeporting of the nuclear-powered carrier as a pressing issue for the residents irrespective of their positions. More than 100 residents are taking part in the campaign.

One of the organizers, 67-year-old Nakami Takao, said, "Any accident involving a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier may cause tremendous damage. What's more, it is not a question only affecting Yokosuka. Our efforts will pave the way for a new Japan."

In the Kitashitaura district about 10 kilometers south of the base, 11 residents called for a public meeting for the success of the campaign, and 30 local residents attended.

A 36-year-old mother of five children said, "I spoke with my neighbors on the issue, and have come to realize what they think about it. It's a pleasure to get acquainted with each other."

U.S. announcement stirs up residents' anxiety

Last December, the U.S. Navy announced its plan to replace the diesel-powered aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk deployed to the Yokosuka naval base with a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier equipped with two reactors. This announcement stirred up anxieties among residents as it will affect the lives of 30 million people living in areas around Tokyo.

Reneging on his mayoral election pledge to oppose the deployment of a nuclear-powered carrier, Yokosuka City Mayor Kabaya Ryoichi expressed acceptance of the plan after holding two public hearings on the grounds that the U.S. Navy in its document stated that the warship's nuclear reactors are safe and have caused no radiation leaks.

Once the signature-collection drive began, the mayor expressed his opposition to conducting a referendum even if more than the required number of signatures is collected. However, the fact is that it is the city assembly, not the mayor, that makes the final decision.

The city government has even made available 15,000 copies of a colorful pamphlet made by the Foreign Ministry to show the "safety of U.S. nuclear-powered warships" at the city hall and government offices for distribution to the public.

Niikura Yasuo, secretary general of the "Miura Peninsula Liaison Council against the Deployment of a U.S. Nuclear-powered Aircraft Carrier to Yokosuka" which is affiliated with the "Association for Success of the Referendum," said, "No matter what the mayor says, he will have no choice but to submit a bill to conduct a referendum to the city assembly if more than 7,200 signatures are collected. We will collect an overwhelming number of signatures in order to have the Yokosuka City Assembly decide to conduct a referendum."
- Akahata, November 27, 2006