Okinawan voters send a message

[unhappycamper]

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2014/01/20/editorials/okinawan-voters-send-a-message/#.UuXartKmrcc

Okinawan voters send a message
Editorials

In the mayoral election Sunday in the city of Nago in the northern part of Okinawa Island, incumbent Mayor Susumu Inamine, who opposes a government plan to relocate the functions of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to the Henoko district of the city, defeated Bunshin Suematsu, who favors the plan.

Inamine’s victory reflects local opposition not only to the relocation plan but also to Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima’s Dec. 27 decision in which he approved landfill work for the construction of an alternative Futenma air base facility at Henoko, following Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s promise to allot more than ¥300 billion each year through fiscal 2021 for the development of Okinawa.

The election result also means a rejection of Suematsu’s approach to use central government money given in exchange for the acceptance of the new facility to improve administrative services for Nago citizens. The Abe administration should respect the will of local residents as expressed in the election and refrain from pushing through the Henoko plan.

A forceful stance on the Futenma issue by the central government would deepen resentment not only among Nago residents but also among the general Okinawan population, creating a wider schism between Okinawa and Tokyo that could impact the Japan-U.S. security relationship. The central government should pay attention to resolutions opposed to the Henoko plan that have been adopted by the local assemblies of Okinawa’s 41 municipalities.