Most Okinawa residents will vote against local US military base transfer, poll shows
- About 67 per cent polled over the weekend said they will tick the ‘no’ box in this week’s non-binding referendum on moving the American base
Nearly 70 per cent of Okinawa residents plan to vote against the central government’s controversial plan to move a US airbase in the southern island prefecture in the local referendum on February 24, a Kyodo News poll showed on Sunday.
While the result of the referendum will not be legally binding, Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki hopes the vote will demonstrate local opposition to the transfer of the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in the prefecture, which hosts most of the US military facilities in the country.
According to the opinion poll conducted on Saturday and Sunday on 1,047 eligible voters in the prefecture, 67.7 per cent said they will cast a “no” vote on the base plan and only 15.8 per cent said they will vote for the move.
About 1.16 million Okinawa residents with Japanese citizenship aged 18 or over will be eligible to vote.
Voters will have three options on the ballot asking what they think about building a replacement facility in a coastal area of Henoko – “yes,” “no” or “neither”.