October 2, 2018

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira on October 1 criticized the Abe government for suggesting that nothing will change despite the fact that the LDP-backed candidate was defeated in the Okinawa gubernatorial election resulting in the victory of the anti-base coalition.

Earlier on the day, Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide, in regard to Tamaki Denny's election as Okinawa governor opposed to the Henoko base construction, said that "there will be no change" in the national government policy concerning the construction of a new base in Henoko in Okinawa's Nago City.

In response to this remark, JCP Koike at a press conference said, "It's totally unacceptable for the central government to make a mockery of and shrug off the election result."

Asked by the press about the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) which accords extraterritorial privileges to U.S. Forces Japan, Koike answered, "The Abe administration must take the responsibility to commit itself to having the SOFA revised."

During the election campaign, not only Tamaki but also pro-base candidate Sakima Atsushi in their pledges called for amendments to the SOFA, and Sakima fought in the election with the full support of the Prime Minister's Office.

Koike said, "If the Abe government has no intention to work on a SOFA revision, this will mean that the Abe camp made an irresponsible campaign pledge just for its candidate to have a chance to be elected."

Koike emphasized, "The Abe side has to keep its campaign promise and the ruling parties in this sense bear a heavy responsibility."