Prefectural Assembly holds extraordinary session for deliberations on cost of litigation for appeal over Henoko, approved by General Affairs Committee, rejected by Special Military Committee. (23se22)


Splendor of Okinawa: Nettlespurge, Angel Park, Uruma, 22se22.


The Okinawa Prefectural Assembly held an extraordinary session on 22 September over the planned new base construction at Henoko in Nago related to the relocation of the US Military Futenma Airfield. The Assembly deliberated on the 3rd supplemental budget proposal for the 2022 general appropriations. In order to start litigation on an appeal against the National Government, the Assembly must agree to a proposal to add 5.98 million yen to the budget for its fees.


In a vote of the Special Committee on Base Relations, the for and against votes ended even, so the committee chair broke the tie by voting against the proposal. But, the General Affairs Planning Committee voted with a majority in favor of the proposal. The whole Prefectural Assembly will vote the proposal up or down on 26 September.


Bunshun Suematsu of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) pointed out that up to this point 223 million yen has been squandered on litigation fees in 11 appeals in succession over Henoko, made by the Prefecture against the National Government. The governor’s Public Relations Chief Noboru Kakazu explained that among the 11 appeals, 4 have been cleared up amicably, 4 have been rejected, and now only 3 are in the midst of dispute. Suematsu countered, “I’m against pursuing unwinnable appeals!”


Vice-governor Takekuni Ikeda explained, “The Okinawa Defense Bureau’s request for design changes was denied. According to the terms of the Public Waters Landfill Act, that justly disposed of the matter. The litigation for appeal this time is to take another look at how the government’s judgment was handled.”


Governor Denny Tamaki explained, “The Henoko new base construction was without any doubt the clear determining factor in the gubernatorial election. We have been charged with this responsibility by the people. In past referendums of the people of our prefecture, the will of our people has been clearly expressed. Backed by the will of our prefecture’s people expressed in the gubernatorial election and  their referendums, I will put my heart and soul into this.”


On another front, Kaiza Uehara will take his seat for the first time in the Prefectural Assembly, having won the prefectural bi-election on 11 September. He will act as an independent, unburdened by party affiliation.


Original Japanese article: Ryukyu Shimpo, published Friday 23 September 2022 at 06:44. Byline: Masakazu Umeda.

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/81fdc6fa0e54fa57f9700447bcb41752d92d7af3


Denny in the News: news about 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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