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NAHA, Okinawa, Japan The government of Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, has begun discussing whether to rescind the city's decision to accept the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station to the shore of Camp Schwab in Nago's Henoko area, according to senior municipal officials.
The municipal government will summarize its deliberations at a meeting of senior municipal officials on Monday. The city is apparently ready to inform the central government of its desire to withdraw its consent if Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's administration does not proceed with the base's relocation to Henoko from its current location in Ginowan in the prefecture, the Nago officials said.
The officials gave several reasons why the city began discussions, one of which was that Nago made difficult choices so as to remove the dangers poised by the Futenma Air Station in its current location. Another was the city's past three mayoral elections in which relocation of the base was a pivotal issue were all won by candidates who said they would accept the move to Henoko.
The move to open discussions indicates the municipal government's displeasure with the Hatoyama administration, which it feels has ignored these efforts by the city. The administration has spoken of building a new base outside the prefecture or merging it with the U.S. Kadena Air Base in the prefecture.
Since the current central government took power, there has been a conspicuous lack of coordination among Cabinet ministers on the issue. Foreign, defense and other ministers have backed away from earlier remarks on the relocation of the Futenma base, and Hatoyama has said he wants to see the result of the Nago mayoral election in January.
"What were our efforts for? We don't want to be pushed around anymore," one senior city official said. "We want give up the Henoko relocation plan itself."
Apparently, the city's senior officials have already agreed the city should tell the central government it intends to withdraw its consent.
Based on the Special Action Committee on Okinawa agreement, Nago declared in December 1999 the city would accept a new U.S. military base in the Henoko area to replace the Futenma base. Other plans have been discussed since then, including the possibility of constructing a base in the waters off Camp Schwab or in shallows near the camp.
In 2006, during the course of discussions on the realignment of the U.S. military in this country, the plan was changed to construct a V-shaped base with two runways to reduce noise levels. Both the city and the prefecture now are demanding this base be built as far from shore as possible.
(c) 2009, The Yomiuri Shimbun.
Visit the Daily Yomiuri Online at http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/index-e.htm/
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
The municipal government will summarize its deliberations at a meeting of senior municipal officials on Monday. The city is apparently ready to inform the central government of its desire to withdraw its consent if Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's administration does not proceed with the base's relocation to Henoko from its current location in Ginowan in the prefecture, the Nago officials said.
The officials gave several reasons why the city began discussions, one of which was that Nago made difficult choices so as to remove the dangers poised by the Futenma Air Station in its current location. Another was the city's past three mayoral elections in which relocation of the base was a pivotal issue were all won by candidates who said they would accept the move to Henoko.
The move to open discussions indicates the municipal government's displeasure with the Hatoyama administration, which it feels has ignored these efforts by the city. The administration has spoken of building a new base outside the prefecture or merging it with the U.S. Kadena Air Base in the prefecture.
Since the current central government took power, there has been a conspicuous lack of coordination among Cabinet ministers on the issue. Foreign, defense and other ministers have backed away from earlier remarks on the relocation of the Futenma base, and Hatoyama has said he wants to see the result of the Nago mayoral election in January.
"What were our efforts for? We don't want to be pushed around anymore," one senior city official said. "We want give up the Henoko relocation plan itself."
Apparently, the city's senior officials have already agreed the city should tell the central government it intends to withdraw its consent.
Based on the Special Action Committee on Okinawa agreement, Nago declared in December 1999 the city would accept a new U.S. military base in the Henoko area to replace the Futenma base. Other plans have been discussed since then, including the possibility of constructing a base in the waters off Camp Schwab or in shallows near the camp.
In 2006, during the course of discussions on the realignment of the U.S. military in this country, the plan was changed to construct a V-shaped base with two runways to reduce noise levels. Both the city and the prefecture now are demanding this base be built as far from shore as possible.
(c) 2009, The Yomiuri Shimbun.
Visit the Daily Yomiuri Online at http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/index-e.htm/
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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