Staff writer
KOBE -- Now that the municipal government has rejected demands for a plebiscite on the proposed Kobe airport, opponents are preparing for early next year when they will launch another petition drive, this time to recall the 1997 mayoral election, in which Kazutoshi Sasayama won a third term.
Those opposed to the airport admit the task will be difficult. A total of 380,000 votes, or 33 percent of Kobe's 1.1 million registered voters, will be needed and must be collected over a one-month signature drive starting in late December or early January.