FOCUS: Okinawa Gov. Tamaki Faces Wavering Support in 3rd-Term Bid

Naha, Okinawa Pref., April 26 (Jiji Press)–Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki faces wavering support ahead of the Sept. 13 gubernatorial election due to changes in the political landscape as a result of the February general election. While the 66-year-old is aiming to secure his third term as governor of the southernmost Japan prefecture, the Centrist Reform Alliance has been undecided on its position on the planned relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma air station in Ginowan to the Henoko coastal area in Nago, another Okinawa city. The CRA was formed by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, which backs Tamaki, and Komeito, which tolerates the base relocation plan, just before the February general election for the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of Japan’s parliament. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democratic Party, which leads the ruling camp in national politics, is vying with the CDP to secure Komeito votes in a bid to regain control of the governorship for the first time in 12 years. At a press conference in Naha, the capital of Okinawa, on Saturday, Tamaki announced his bid for the gubernatorial election. Asked about his backing from political parties, Tamaki said that the political landscape “has become fluid as various political parties have been created,” adding that he wants to seek support from various forces. Tamaki is backed by the “All Okinawa” camp, which is joined by the CDP, the Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party. Just before the Lower House was dissolved in January this year for the snap general election, Jun Azumi, then co-secretary-general of the CRA, said that it would be “unrealistic” to cancel the relocation plan, causing a stir among supporters. Earlier this month, some former Lower House lawmakers defeated in Okinawa constituencies in the February general election urged CRA executives to review the party’s stance on the base relocation issue. The LDP made a clean sweep of Okinawa single-seat constituencies in the election, with the CDP and Komeito struggling to present a united front. The Nago mayoral election held on Jan. 25 ended with the incumbent candidate backed by both Komeito and the LDP successfully clinching his third term as mayor, while a candidate endorsed by the CDP lost. Last month, a high school girl died when a boat sank off Henoko during a peace study tour organized by a group supporting Tamaki, further complicating the governor’s political environment. Amid such a situation, the LDP aims to secure support from Komeito voters. Until October last year, the LDP had maintained a 26-year-long coalition with Komeito in national politics. In the upcoming gubernatorial race, the LDP will back 42-year-old Genta Koja, who previously worked at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Hoping to retain some Komeito supporters, the LDP will focus its campaign on Okinawa’s local business community. On Saturday, LDP Election Strategy Committee chief Yasutoshi Nishimura arrived in Okinawa to discuss strategy with senior officials of the party’s prefectural chapter. In March, an LDP-backed candidate lost in the Ishikawa gubernatorial election, despite Prime Minister and LDP President Sanae Takaichi visiting the central Japan prefecture to deliver a stump speech for the candidate. The party has also suffered defeats in a string of local elections, including one to elect the mayor of Tokyo’s Nerima Ward. Many within the party believe that the misfortunes were due to the absence of votes from Komeito supporters following Komeito’s exit from the coalition with the LDP. Revealing that the LDP side has been in contact with Komeito ahead of the upcoming gubernatorial race, an LDP Okinawa prefectural chapter official said, “What the LDP and Komeito had cannot be replicated by the CRA, which was formed as a makeshift party.” A senior official of Komeito’s Okinawa prefectural chapter said, “We are openly considering whom to support.” While saying that the party has been approached by Tamaki, the official added, “We’ll set ourselves apart from the All Okinawa camp.” Takaichi has instructed Nishimura to secure victories in all elections that involve head-to-head contests between the ruling and opposition parties. A loss in the Okinawa gubernatorial election could impact the unified local elections scheduled for next spring. “We don’t know if the ‘Takaichi whirlwind’ will keep blowing in the autumn,” an LDP official said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]