“Does the governor have the guts to run?” Opposition party takes a shot at Okinawa Governor Denny for not declaring clearly his candidacy for a second term. (27fe22)

During representatives’ questioning at the Prefectural Assembly February ordinary session on 24 February, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki did not announce his candidacy in the scheduled fall gubernatorial election for a second term as originally planned. The governor only went so far as to say, “I have to give careful consideration to getting the understanding of my family and the cooperation of my support groups. But foremost, I’m going to put my heart and soul into what’s left of my term to realize the campaign promises I’ve made.”


Claiming to put his strength into realizing his campaign promises before his term expires in September is a step forward from his previous declarations, but a source from his party’s headquarters offered this background analysis of what was left unsaid, “He’s avoiding a shower of criticism from the opposition.”


That day was the second day of representative questioning. Representative Isao Zukeran from Ti-da Peace Net, the faction of the ruling party that holds the chair, had asked the governor, “I’m inquiring about your frank feelings in the face of the scheduled September gubernatorial election.” On the first day of representative questioning on 22 February, the governor avoided an declaration of candidacy when he took a question on the same topic from the opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) faction and answered, “Foremost, I want to put put my heart and soul   into vigorously completing my term, looking toward realizing each and every of my campaign promises.” The ruling party headquarters clearly explained, “The governor carefully expressed his feeling without any discrepancy in his answer to the ruling party representative’s question.”

 

“If the governor is only expressing his thinking to questions from his own ruling party, the assumption is he won’t move to resign,” said a source from the LDP assembly members wryly just before the ruling party questioning. Because the governor did not make a clear announcement, some from the LDP headquarters said smugly, “Does the governor have the guts to run? At the June Assembly Meeting we want confirmation.”


One assembly member of the ruling party opined, with not a care for the off-balance opposition, “The LDP has been slow to choose a candidate for the gubernatorial election. Perhaps our governor, with his high name recognition, wants to slow down his declaration to enter the field as much as possible. There’ll be no space for the opposition.” 


The Prefectural Assembly has decided that the largest faction goes first in representatives’ questioning. With 19 members, the opposition LDP is the largest. The largest faction of the ruling party is Ti-da Peace net with 8 members. In the next ordinary session in June, LDP will be the lead batter in questioning.


The ruling party headquarters said, “The governor is shrewd. Up until the June ordinary session, it’s fine if he makes a declaration at rallies and such, no problem at all. We want to solidify our support as the ruling party.


After the representatives’ questioning on 24 February, Governor Tamaki answered questions from this paper’s reporters. On his candidacy, he stressed, “I’m in the middle of various discussions and haven’t yet made a final decision.” On where he will make his declaration of candidacy, the governor replied, “The declaration comes after the decision!” and then added, “It makes no sense to make a final decision on what to do while I’m still considering the situation.”.


Original Japanese article: Okinawa Times, published Sunday 27 February 2022 at 11:46. Byline: 政経部・山城響 Hibiki Yamashiro (Political Economics Section)

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/baffcaed9ba8edd94fad746739b19e79f69357c6


Translator’s note:

Denny in the News: news about Okinawan Governor Denny Tamaki.

Denny Tamaki is the governor of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. Although Okinawa is important as an international tourist destination and a key element in strategic US Military Forces, its governor receives very little coverage in the Japanese press and almost none in the English language media. 

  1. This blog hopes to  translate one news article a day on the governor.  It is unsponsored and unauthorized. The translator simply hopes to improve his skills and perhaps give the governor an English speaking audience. 

  2. Any suggestion on improving the translation will be gratefully accepted. However, please leave political comments for another forum.

  3. Where they occur, words and phrases in Ryukyuan (the Okinawan language) are rendered in italics and translated in parentheses. Names  whose readings are uncertain are rendered as Name (=Kanji?) as in Nagayuki (=長行?). Any corrections in such instances would be gratefully appreciated.

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