12:19 JST, June 16, 2024
Naha, Okinawa Pref. (Jiji Press) – Voting began Sunday morning in Okinawa’s prefectural assembly elections, with the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma Air Station in Japan’s southernmost prefecture a major issue in the polls.
Voting will last until 8:00 PM and counting of votes will begin soon. A total of 75 candidates are competing for 48 seats in the elections.
The focus is on whether the prefectural bloc in support of Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki, who wants to block the relocation of the US base to the coastal district of Henoko in Nago city from Ginowan city, or the opposition bloc, including the De Liberale Democratic Party will win a majority of seats.
Of the 75 candidates, 34 come from parties in the ruling bloc, including the Japanese Communist Party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Social Democratic Party, while 33 come from parties in the opposition bloc, such as the LDP, Komeito and Nippon. Ishin no Kai (Japanese Innovation Party). The remaining eight are independent candidates.
One of both the ruling and opposition camps secured their seats uncontested.
The Okinawa Prefectural Assembly currently has 24 members from the ruling camp and an equal number from the opposition.
With a member of the opposition party as head of the assembly, who does not participate in the vote, Tamaki is in charge of the assembly’s governance.
The outcome of the election is likely to have an impact on Tamaki Prefecture’s government.
Meanwhile, the LDP and others tolerant of the transfer of the Futenma base to Henoko District are aiming to increase their presence in the assembly ahead of Okinawa’s 2026 gubernatorial election.
The Okinawa prefectural assembly election is also crucial for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government, after the LDP recently suffered defeats in a series of national and local elections in the wake of a high-profile slush fund scandal involving LDP factions goods.
