Anti-U.S. base construction candidate receives 35 percent in Nago

In the mayoral election Okinawa's Nago City on February 3, Miyagi Yasuhiro, leader of the anti-U.S. base movement lost to the incumbent candidate, Kishimoto, Tateo, who was backed by the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komei Party.

The candidate of the Association for a Bright Future of Nago City, which included the Japanese Communist Party, the Okinawa Social Mass Party, the Social Democratic Party, and many citizens' organizations, received 35.3 percent of the vote.

Challenger Miyagi took issue with Mayor Kishimoto's acceptance of the government's plan to construct a new U.S. base on the coral reef, but Kishimoto avoided discussing the issue.

Regarding the new U.S. base as essential for maintaining Japan-U.S. relations, the government strongly campaigned in support of Kishimoto. Government officials even threatened to cut off local economic development assistance for Nago if Kishimoto were not re-elected.

Kishimoto's camp pushed companies and local communities under its influence into organizing absentee voters in an attempt to force their employees and subcontractors to vote for Kishimoto without fail. The number of absentee voters accounted for about 18 percent of the total voters, which was extraordinarily high. (end)