Carrying out a prefectural popular referendum must pass hurdles in prefectural assembly passage, as exemplified in the unrealized Osaka Integrated Resort and a nuclear reactor plant. (24fe24)

 Splendor of Okinawa: Indian Shot, roadside Uruma, 1fe24


The US Military Futenma Airfield in Ginowan is being relocated to Henoko in Nago, both in Okinawa Prefecture. As of 24 February, it has been 5 years since the February 2019 Okinawa Prefectural Popular Referendum asking people if they were for or against landfilling there. The result was that over 70 percent of the total votes were against the landfill. Nevertheless, the National Government is continuing the relocation work. On 1 January of this year, it even set to work on landfilling an area of sea with a weak seabed


Popular referendums realize the Prefectural Assembly’s passage of the legislation necessary for their execution through the collection of signatures by a citizens group. In other prefectural entities, citizen groups have requested  prefecture-wide referendums, on such issues as casino attractions or nuclear power plants, to divide those for and against, but, if the proposal is  not ratified in the local assembly, the proposal will not be realized.


The fact is that ratification by assemblies has become a high hurdle in realizing a prefectural popular referendum. According to the regulations of the Regional Autonomy Law, citizens must make a request directly to the governor in a petition for regulations necessary to execute their prefectural popular referendum. If the signatures of  an absolute majority (50%+1) are gathered and submitted. On receipt of the request, if the assembly ratifies  the proposal submitted by the governor with majority approval, it is enacted.


As for the Okinawa Prefectural Popular Referendum, students and lawyers created the ‘Henoko’ Prefectural Referendum Group. Between May and July of 2018, the group gathered the signatures of an amazing 90 thousand (1 out of 50) plus registered voters. Governor Denny Tamaki, who is opposed to the Henoko relocation, and  his Prefectural Assembly ruling party hold the majority in the Prefectural Assembly. So, the proposal for the  Prefectural Popular Referendum, which asked for a vote for or against the landfill needed for the relocation, was ratified. 


In the February 2019 Prefectural Popular Referendum, the sum total of those opposed to the landfill reached 71.7%. However, as a result of the referendum having no binding in law, the Government has continued construction.

　

In July of 2022, citizen groups in Ibaraki and Kagoshima collected over 190 thousand signatures to carry out  a referendum asking for a pro or con on the lure of an integrated  resort (IR) which would include a casino. However, the Prefectural Assembly denied its approval with the majority Osaka Restoration Association and others against it.


Original Japanese article: Mainichi Shimbun, published Saturday 24 February 2024 at 16:01. Byline: Keisuke Muneoka.   https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/375339aad69e4b45046c7de8ff5e3907e2459474

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. 


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. 


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


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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