Japan Press Weekly

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2014 September 3 - 9 [POLITICS]

Anti-base candidates win majority in Nago city assembly election

In Okinawa’s Nago City Assembly election held on September 7, forces opposing the construction of a new U.S. base in Henoko maintained their majority in the assembly, again showing Nago residents’ determination to object to the construction following the January mayoral election in which an anti-base mayor was re-elected.

On this day, prefecture-wide simultaneous local assembly elections took place in 15 municipalities in Okinawa Prefecture.

In the Nago City Assembly election, which attracted a great deal of attention nationwide, anti-base forces and a pro-base force independently put up 16 candidates to contest 27 assembly seats. Although the Liberal Democratic Party provided all-out support for the 16 pro-base candidates in the election campaign, only 11 of them got seats while the anti-base force won 14 seats. The Komei Party won the other two seats.

Asked by reporters about the election results on the following day, Mayor Inamine Susumu expressed his regret that base opponents failed to reach the target of 16 seats in the assembly. He, however, added that Nago residents’ opposition remained unchanged since his election.

In the simultaneous elections, 21 out of 22 Japanese Communist Party candidates won their seats. The JCP was ranked top in the number of local assembly members in Okinawa followed by the Komei Party (17), the LDP (7), and the Political Local Party of Okinawa (2). The Democratic Party of Japan decreased its strength to zero.

In Nago City, JCP candidate Nakazato Katsuji won the election with a record-high number of 1,334 votes, also the largest number of votes among all candidates. He successfully received the JCP seat in the assembly from Gushiken Toru after his 40 years of service.

In the Higashi Village Assembly election, JCP candidate Isa Masatsugu, who is a leader of a local movement opposing the construction of U.S. military helipads in the Takae area, gained the first JCP seat.

In Ginowan City hosting the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma base, JCP incumbent Chinen Yoshio retained his seat. In the Ishigaki City Assembly election where the planned construction of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces’ facility has become a key issue, the JCP candidate won easily.

The JCP also increased its number of seats in the assemblies of Okinawa City and Chatan Town.