OKINAWA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES ANNOUNCE PLATFORMS,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 NAHA 000229 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2031 TAGS: JA PREL MARR SUBJECT: OKINAWA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES ANNOUNCE PLATFORMS, "UNITED" AGAINST FUTENMA REPLACEMENT FACILITY REF: REFTEL A: NAHA 213, REFTEL B: 227 CLASSIFIED BY: Carmela A. Conroy, Acting Consul General, American Consulate General Naha, DOS. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Recently both Okinawa gubernatorial candidates have announced their policy platforms, which are long on aspirations and short on details. Reformist candidate Keiko ITOKAZU declared her top issue to be opposing the relocation within Okinawa of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Futenma, a key initiative of the 2005 USG-GOJ Alliance Transformation and Realignment report. She has also called for abrogation of the US-Japan Mutual Security Treaty and the total elimination of US military bases from Okinawa. Conservative candidate Hirokazu NAKAIMA has attempted to turn the debate towards economic issues, while "fuzzily" opposing the agreed Futenma replacement facility. Nakaima says he intends to incorporate Okinawan opinion in renegotiating something new from the GOJ, leaving open the possibility of relocation within Okinawa. The local media have declared Itokazu and Nakaima "united" in opposing the agreed plan. End Summary. Itokazu Taking Anti-base, Anti-US-Japan Security Alliance Stance~ ¶2. (C) National Upper House Diet Member Itokazu is the candidate backed by five of six reformist parties: the Japanese Communist Party, the Democratic Party of Japan, the Socialist Party of Japan, Rengo Okinawa, and her own Okinawa Socialist Masses Party. Only Sozo, the party founded by National Lower House Diet Member Mikio SHIMOJI, has so far refrained from supporting her, saying it is still studying her platform. In an October 14 newspaper interview Itokazu clearly stated she did not recognize the US-Japan Mutual Security Treaty. Itokazu has also said she was willing to negotiate with the US only if the US follows its stated policy that "it will not establish bases where it is not welcomed." Note: This is a reference to a 2003 remark by SecDef Rumsfeld regarding the possibility of building bases in Iraq. End note. She also claimed, without elaboration, the United States discriminates against Okinawa by applying different policies in the prefecture than it does at home. Itokazu has long advocated closing all military bases in Okinawa. However, her anti-US-Japan Security Treaty position is new, as she had previously avoided making direct calls for abrogating the treaty, calling for it to be "reviewed." ~ And Looking to Eliminate Bases on Okinawa ¶3. (SBU) Itokazu said she would like to revise the Ota Administration's action plan, which called for a phased closure of all US military facilities in the prefecture. Governor Masahide OTA developed his "Base Return Action Program" in 1996. Ota's original plan called for a three-step return of US bases, with facilities like MCAS Futenma being returned in 2001, the Marine Corps' Camp Courtney and Army's Torii Station in 2010, and Kadena Air Force Base in 2015. After-use plans were to be developed in conjunction with the returns, with the end goal of NAHA 00000229 002 OF 004 establishing a cosmopolitan city with transportation and information networks linking Okinawa with various Asian nations. ¶4. (C) Itokazu has not proposed concrete changes to Ota's action plan, but has suggested that she would maintain the deadline of 2015 for closing all US military facilities and establishing a public corporation to deal with returned lands. She has also called for the immediate closure and return of MCAS Futenma, and for its functions to be removed from Japan. Itokazu has also said that she would participate in discussions of the FRF with the GOJ and municipal leaders, with the express purpose of opposing any FRF within Okinawa. This deviates from the previous reformist position that participating in the GOJ-local talks amounted to tacit acceptance of the V-shaped FRF plan. The change in the reformist position may be linked to recent press and reformist criticism that Governor Inamine failed to convey Okinawans' (anti-base) opinions to the USG and GOJ during his two terms. ¶5. (C) Itokazu stated she planned to use the agreed October 2005 Alliance Transformation and Realignment (ATARA) Report as a step towards returning all base facilities to Okinawan control. She called for pursuit of the initiatives to transfer 8,000 Marines to Guam and close US bases south of Kadena AFB, while refusing to accept the link between these measures and the FRF plan. An October 14 Okinawa Times editorial questioned how Itokazu would realize these aspirations. Nakaima Vague on FRF, Focusing on Returned Land After-Use Plans ¶6. (C) Former vice governor (during the Ota administration) and Okinawa Electric Power Company Chairman Nakaima told us he planned to follow the advice of current Governor Keiichi INAMINE and take a vague stance on base issues. See reftel A. This would supposedly allow him to show Okinawans he would represent their best interests by insisting on USG-GOJ plans that incorporated Okinawans opinions, while still being able to successfully work with the GOJ. Nakaima announced that he could not accept the V-shaped FRF plan in its current form. However, his stated chief objection was that the plan was adopted without listening to Okinawan opinions, not that he opposed relocating MCAS Futenma within Okinawa. ¶7. (SBU) Nakaima has repeatedly stated that while relocating MCAS Futenma outside of Okinawa would be best, given the US-Japan Security Treaty and regional security concerns, "there is no choice but for [MCAS Futenma's] relocation within the prefecture." He has stated that the base burden on Okinawa must be reduced, and has indicated interest in Inamine's proposal for a temporary heliport to be built at Camp Schwab in order to hasten MCAS Futenma's closure. He has also said he wants to develop a concrete plan in cooperation with the GOJ to eliminate the danger of MCAS Futenma within four years. Nakaima has publicly stated his willingness to attend consultative meetings with the GOJ and northern municipalities to discuss the V-shaped FRF and economic promotion measures. ¶8. (C) Nakaima has been clearer in his plans for developing base NAHA 00000229 003 OF 004 land being returned in conjunction with ATARA. Nakaima has said that US land returns represent an opportunity for Okinawa, and has called on the GOJ to do its duty in helping Okinawans develop the land. He has also asked for the GOJ to extend the Okinawa economic promotion special measures law, currently due to expire around 2011. Nakaima also stated the need to consider the positions of military landowners and base workers in formulating his policy. He proposed establishing a land preservation and maintenance organization to formulate development plans for returned land. Economic Policies: Pork All Around ¶9. (C) Both candidates are campaigning about the economic goodies they intend to seek for the prefecture, such as adding another runway to congested Naha Airport, and extending the Naha monorail and national expressway to the northern part of the main island. However, Itokazu is attempting to split off economic promotion measures from the continued US military presence in Okinawa. Naha Airport's second runway was among the perks mentioned by the GOJ in November 2005 as a part of economic promotion measures aimed at facilitating Okinawans' acceptance of an FRF in Nago City. Senior Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) politicians like Taku YAMASAKI also mentioned the plan for a railway extension during the Nago mayoral campaign in January 2006, with the tacit understanding that it was linked to Nago accepting the plan to build an FRF at Camp Schwab. ¶10. (C) Both candidates are touting an increase in Okinawan tourism as a way to boost the economy. Itokazu's plans have focused on developing eco-tourism and she has advocated preserving Okinawa's beaches and water areas. She has also stated a goal of expanding annual tourism to 8 million visitors. She has also called for cultural and economic exchanges with the rest of Asia. Nakaima said he aims to increase tourism to 10 million visitors a year. Note. In 2005 just over 5 million tourists, over 90% of who were Japanese, visited Okinawa. End Note. ¶11. (C) Reducing unemployment is another common goal, and with Okinawa's unemployment rate perpetually twice the national average, one that may resonate with voters. Both say they will eliminate the prefecture's gap between jobs available and lack of skilled labor need to fill them. Itokazu would also like to increase employment opportunities for disabled workers. Itokazu has pledged to create 20,000 new jobs during her term, but offered no concrete details of how she would accomplish that. Nakaima has pledged to bring Okinawa's unemployment rate of 7-8 percent down to the national average of 4-5 percent, but also lacks a detailed plan. Comment ¶12. (C) Comment: The success of Itokazu's platform lies in whether she can convince voters that she as governor could cherry-pick what she wants of ATARA, and GOJ economic promotion measures, while opposing the FRF and demanding all US bases in the prefecture be closed. Currently the GOJ is not explicitly NAHA 00000229 004 OF 004 linking Okinawa's acceptance of ATARA with economic promotion measures, which permits Itokazu to use this theme. Still, a recent editorial questioned how Itokazu planned to make good on her promises, and a reformist contact told us she was simply "offering sweets, with no plan on how to get them." Nakaima has handicapped himself by remaining fuzzy on base issues. His opposition to the V-plan is letting the media and reformists press him on whether he would accept an FRF within Okinawa, an issue he hoped to avoid. Nakaima's attempts to turn the debate from bases to the economy have been somewhat successful. However, he appears to have fallen into the trap of allowing the media and the reformist parties to set the campaign agenda. It is too early to tell whether the candidates' platforms will overcome the here-to-for overwhelming attention on the popularity contest between the polished former peace bus guide and the rumpled power company executive. End Comment. CONROY