[March 12, 2006]

8TH LD: Big majority says 'no' to U.S. relocation in Iwakuni plebiscite+

(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)IWAKUNI, Japan, March 12_(Kyodo) _ (EDS: UPDATING)

An overwhelming majority of residents in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, voted "no" in a referendum Sunday on a government plan to relocate U.S. carrier-based aircraft to a local U.S. base as part of U.S. plans to reorganize its military forces in Japan, the electoral board said.

With all ballots counted, 89 percent of all valid ballots were cast against the relocation plan, with the "no" votes topping the "yes" votes by 43,433 to 5,369. The voter turnout was 58.68 percent.

The outcome of the unprecedented plebiscite is nonbinding but the majority "no" vote could have an impact on other base-hosting communities and affect efforts by Tokyo and Washington to finalize the realignment plans by the end of the month as part of the U.S. strategy to redeploy its global military forces.

A city ordinance requires the mayor and the city assembly to respect the results of the plebiscite.

"I want to convey the residents' voice to the central government as soon as possible," Mayor Katsusuke Ihara told a news conference after the early returns became clear. "I want the state to respect the local opinion and make policy judgments appropriately."

Ihara said he will again demand that the Japanese and U.S. governments rescind the plan, but promised to first consult with the city assembly as some members affiliated with the ruling coalition had opposed the referendum.

The ruling bloc, however, downplayed the opposition expressed in the plebiscite in a bid to avoid any negative impact on talks concerning the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan.

Defense Agency Director General Fukushiro Nukaga said in a statement issued after hearing the voting results, "It is necessary to carry out the relocation at any cost. I will do my utmost to gain local understanding by explaining the relocation plan."

Toranosuke Katayama, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight, told reporters, "The state is responsible for security. A plebiscite (on such an issue) is not appropriate."

Katayama, secretary general of the LDP's caucus in the House of Councillors, also said he considers the result of the citizens' vote "a kind of regional egoism."

Senior government officials both of Japan and the United States have clearly indicated prior to the voting that they will go ahead with the realignment plan.

The vote against the Japan-U.S. plan reached last October to relocate 57 carrier-borne airplanes from the U.S. Navy's Atsugi base in Kanagawa Prefecture to Iwakuni Air Station reflects local concerns of flight noise, safety and crimes related to the base and is likely to put Tokyo in a difficult position.

The Japanese government has yet to convince Iwakuni and other municipalities affected by the realignment to accept the plans, but senior officials have been suggesting they will go ahead with finalizing the agreement with Washington regardless of local opinion.

Under the October accord, the United States plans to move the U.S. Army 1st Corps headquarters in Washington State to the U.S. Army Camp Zama in Kanagawa Prefecture. In exchange, 57 planes based on the U.S. aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk, whose homeport is in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, will be relocated to Iwakuni.

There are also plans to conduct nighttime practices at Iwakuni by U.S. warplanes to simulate take-off and landing on an aircraft carrier.

The relocation, if realized, will double the number of U.S. aircraft at Iwakuni to 114. This will exceed the fleet at U.S. Air Force's Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, one of the largest U.S. bases in the Far East which hosts about 100 planes.

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

This prompted Mayor 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 in April and they urged residents to boycott the referendum.

Neighboring municipalities have also complained that the referendum should not be held just days before they are to integrate into a new Iwakuni city on March 20.

Ihara said earlier that if the majority is against the relocation plan, he will again demand that the Japanese and the U.S. government revoke the plan.

Last week, however, Defense Agency chief Nukaga hinted there will be no change in the plan agreed by the Japanese and U.S. government regardless of the Iwakuni vote.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe has also said the government has told Gov. Keiichi Inamine of Okinawa, which will be most affected by the realignment plans, that it will reach a final agreement with the United States on the realignment regardless of local opposition.

From the U.S. side, John Dyson, consul for public affairs at the U.S. Consulate in Fukuoka who spoke with reporters prior to the referendum, said Washington will not change its stance although he agreed it is important to listen to local opinions.

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

The overall realignment plans for U.S. forces in Japan also highlight moving 7,000 U.S. Marines out of Okinawa, mainly to Guam, and relocating functions of the U.S Marine Corps Futemma Air Station from downtown Ginowan to a new airfield on the shores of U.S. Camp Schwab in Nago, both in Okinawa.

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