- Okinawan gubernatorial election, 2010
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The Okinawan gubernatorial election, 2010 was held on November 28, 2010. The official campaign start will be on November 11[1]. The 2010 election garners national attention mostly for the dispute between the central government and local communities in Okinawa over the planned relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from Ginowan to Henoko in Nago that had also contributed to the resignation of prime minister Yukio Hatoyama in June 2010.
Incumbent governor Hirokazu Nakaima seeks reelection as an independent with support of the prefectural LDP and Kōmeitō chapters. In the 2006 election he had narrowly defeated Keiko Itokazu who ran on an "anti-base" platform with support of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and smaller parties.[2] The DPJ took over the central government in 2009 and could not agree on a candidate for Okinawa governor in 2010[3]: it has to defend the central government's agreements with the United States on base relocation against local opposition that includes base opponents from the DPJ's prefectural chapter. The party officially announced its decision in October 2010, the DPJ had already failed to nominate a candidate in Okinawa for the national House of Councillors election in July 2010.[4][5]
While Nakaima favors moving the base to outside Okinawa he has repeatedly expressed his willingness to negotiate with the central government on the relocation plans[6][7]. His likely challenger, former Ginowan mayor Yōichi Iha is strictly opposed to relocating Futenma to a site within the prefecture[8] and proposes to move all USMC facilities to Guam[9]. His candidacy is supported by SDP's and JCP's prefectural chapters and the Okinawa Social Mass Party.[10] A third declared candidate is Tatsurō Kinjō for the Happiness Realization Party who supports the planned move to Henoko.[11]
The vote to elect a successor for Yōichi Iha as mayor of Ginowan will be held on the same day.[12]
Results
Okinawa gubernatorial election 2010 Party Candidate Votes % ±% Independent (LDP, Kōmeitō, Your Party) Hirokazu Nakaima 335,708 Independent (SDP, JCP, OSMP) Yōichi Iha 297,082 Happiness Realization Party Tatsurō Kinjō 13,116 Turnout 60.88% References
- ^ Okinawa prefecture electoral commission: 沖縄県知事選挙日程
- ^ BBC News, November 19, 2006: Okinawans reject anti-US option
- ^ Japan Times, October 27, 2010: DPJ not fielding own candidate in race for Okinawa governor
- ^ Jiji Tsūshin, October 26, 2010: 沖縄知事選、自主投票へ＝普天間響き擁立断念－民主
- ^ Okinawa Times, October 28, 2010: ［民主党自主投票］政権政党の責任放棄だ
- ^ The Japan Times, October 15, 2009: Nakaima OKs base move — with proviso
- ^ Yomiuri Daily News, October 20, 2010: Okinawa gov. wants Futenma talks if reelected
- ^ BBC News, October 4, 2010 Anger simmers over Okinawa base burden
- ^ Mainichi Shimbun/Ryūkyū Shimpō, October 21, 2010: 県知事選：「普天間」手法に相違 立候補予定者政策対論
- ^ 47 News/Ryūkyū Shimpō, October 11, 2010: 仲井真、伊波氏 決戦へ 知事選告示まで１ヵ月
- ^ http://dailynews.yahoo.co.jp/fc/local/okinawa_gubernatorial_election/
- ^ Jiji Press, November 1, 2010: 福島知事に佐藤氏＝１０月の地方選挙/１１月の地方選挙
Categories:- 2010 elections in Japan
- Elections in Okinawa Prefecture
- Gubernatorial elections in Japan
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