As the campaign kicked off for the Nov. 16 Okinawa gubernatorial election, the Abe administration maintains that it will go ahead with land reclamation off the Henoko district of Nago to build a replacement facility for U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, regardless of who wins the race, because of the go-ahead given last year by Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima.
But the election can effectively serve as Okinawan voters' verdict on the controversial project, which has sharply divided local residents for years. The national government needs to listen to what the voters say at the polls.
The key feature of the election is the split of conservative political forces in Okinawa. Nakaima, who is seeking a third term with support from the Liberal Democratic Party, is being challenged by three candidates including Takeshi Onaga, the former Naha mayor and secretary general of the LDP's local chapter who led Nakaima's campaign headquarters in the 2010 election. While Nakaima pushes for relocation of the Futenma base in Ginowan to Nago, Onaga says he will use all means to halt construction of the new facility in Henoko.