Japan Press Weekly

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2013 February 20 - 26 [OKINAWA]

Nago mayor determined to win 2nd term to get new base construction cancelled

Okinawa’s Nago City Mayor Inamine Susumu on February 20 expressed his intention to win reelection next year in order to have the Japanese and U.S. governments give up the plan to construct a new U.S. base in the city as a replacement for the U.S. Futenma base.

This announcement was made at a gathering to celebrate the third anniversary of the inauguration of the city administration led by the anti-base mayor. More than 1,200 citizens attended the gathering. Japanese Communist Party Lower House member Akamine Seiken and independent Upper House member Itokazu Keiko delivered speeches in solidarity.

Toguchi Takeaki, head of the gathering’s organizing committee, said that the mayor has played a leading role in efforts to oppose the construction of a new U.S. base and have the U.S. Osprey aircraft withdrawn from the prefecture.

Inamine said, “No one can change Okinawan people’s opposition to the plan to build a U.S. base in Henoko. I’ll work hard until the two governments cancel the plan.”

Inamine won the 2011 mayoral election by promising to object to the construction plan.