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Voting begins in Iwakuni for plebiscite on U.S. aircraft relocation+
[March 11, 2006]

Voting begins in Iwakuni for plebiscite on U.S. aircraft relocation+


(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)IWAKUNI, Japan, March 12_(Kyodo) _ Voting began in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, on Sunday for a referendum on whether to accept an increase in the number of U.S. military aircraft at a local base under plans by Tokyo and Washington to reorganize U.S. forces in Japan.



The plebiscite, the first to be held on the realignment issue, is nonbinding but is being closely watched as the outcome could have an impact on other base-hosting communities and affect efforts by Japan and the United States to finalize the plans by the end of the month.

If less than 50 percent of the 87,000 eligible voters in the referendum cast their ballots, the poll will be considered invalid and the votes will not be counted.


Voters are being asked to choose whether they accept a plan agreed upon by the Japanese and U.S. governments last October to relocate 57 carrier-borne airplanes from the U.S. Navy's Atsugi base to Iwakuni Air Station.

The Iwakuni city assembly passed a resolution in June last year against the relocation. But some assembly members affiliated with the ruling coalition later changed their stance and expressed readiness to accept the plan in exchange for economic stimulus measures.

This prompted Mayor Katsusuke Ihara, who has been demanding the relocation plan be rescinded, to call the referendum. But his critics say he is using the plebiscite to improve his chances of winning an upcoming mayoral election.

Ihara said he will seek implementation of noise reduction and other measures if the majority of voters back the relocation plan. On the other hand, if more are against it, he will again demand that the plan be revoked.

Iwakuni Air Station is currently home to about 3,000 Marines and 57 U.S. warplanes. It is also jointly used by the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force.

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