#JAPAN: Gov. Of Okinawa Vows To Legally Challenge US Base Relocation

[world politics news]

The newly-elected governor of Okinawa says he will take legal action to block the national government from resume in construction on a new location for a US Marine Corp base in his region.

Gov. Denny Tamaki, who was elected on the promise to block the new military base, says he is keeping his election promise. The government of Japan, along with the American military, say the expansion is necessary to both modernize it and place the facility in a less populated area.

The Okinawa prefectural assembly on Oct. 26 adopted an ordinance to hold a referendum on the base's relocation, but the central government says it will ignore the results of the vote.

Military experts say an American military presence in Japan is necessary to deter states such as North Korea and China becoming too aggressive in the region.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#JAPAN: Candidate Urging Reduced US Military Presence Wins Okinawa Governor's Race

[world politics news]

A candidate opposed to the relocation of a US military base within Okinawa Prefecture, and wants a sharply reduced US presence in the region, won the Okinawa gubernatorial election on Sept. 30.

Denny Tamaki, 58, a former Lower House member of the Liberal Party, defeated three other candidates, including former Ginowan mayor Atsushi Sakima, 54, who was supported by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party and other, smaller parties. Tamaki, the son of a Japanese woman and a US Marine, campaigned on a platform stressing the burdens placed on the region by the US military base there.

WHY WE SHOULD CARE:
Military observers and political leaders in both Japan and the US worry what signals a decreased presence in the region could send to China, North Korea, and others in the region.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.