December 11, 2014
The clear winner in the Okinawa gubernatorial election, anti-base Onaga Takeshi, on December 10 officially assumed the office as Okinawa’s new governor. As he entered the prefectural government office building, staff and citizens welcomed him with cheers and applause.
At an inaugural press conference, Onaga vowed to not allow the construction of a new U.S. base at Henoko in Nago City. He stated, “I will clearly covey to the central government the demand of Okinawans.”
He expressed his intention to exercise his authority to revoke the landfill approval given by former governor Nakaima Hirokazu, and suggested that he will not endorse any more applications the Okinawa Defense Bureau filed for reclamation of waters off Henoko.
Regarding the U.S. Futenma base in Ginowan City, the new governor stated that the Japanese government should handle the issue. He said, “Okinawa has never voluntarily provided its land for the world’s most dangerous base, and it’s too unreasonable to again deprive us of our land for new facilities as a replacement for that base.”
The day before, Nakaima Hirokazu left office. He aimed parting shots at protesters who came to a press conference held before his departure. Nakaima said, “Those who came in flocks are extremely unscrupulous and are disrupting my work.”
The press conference was held on alert while police officers barricaded the conference doors and protesters gathered inside the prefectural government office building.
Asked by the press for his reason for approving the Henoko landfill project, Nakaima answered, “Because it was a matter of common sense.”
He left the office with no word of apology to Okinawans for having broken his promise made in the governor race four years ago when he called for the relocation of the base to outside Okinawa.
Past related article:
> Incumbent doesn’t say ‘No!’ to base relocation within Okinawa [November 19, 2010]
At an inaugural press conference, Onaga vowed to not allow the construction of a new U.S. base at Henoko in Nago City. He stated, “I will clearly covey to the central government the demand of Okinawans.”
He expressed his intention to exercise his authority to revoke the landfill approval given by former governor Nakaima Hirokazu, and suggested that he will not endorse any more applications the Okinawa Defense Bureau filed for reclamation of waters off Henoko.
Regarding the U.S. Futenma base in Ginowan City, the new governor stated that the Japanese government should handle the issue. He said, “Okinawa has never voluntarily provided its land for the world’s most dangerous base, and it’s too unreasonable to again deprive us of our land for new facilities as a replacement for that base.”
The day before, Nakaima Hirokazu left office. He aimed parting shots at protesters who came to a press conference held before his departure. Nakaima said, “Those who came in flocks are extremely unscrupulous and are disrupting my work.”
The press conference was held on alert while police officers barricaded the conference doors and protesters gathered inside the prefectural government office building.
Asked by the press for his reason for approving the Henoko landfill project, Nakaima answered, “Because it was a matter of common sense.”
He left the office with no word of apology to Okinawans for having broken his promise made in the governor race four years ago when he called for the relocation of the base to outside Okinawa.
Past related article:
> Incumbent doesn’t say ‘No!’ to base relocation within Okinawa [November 19, 2010]
