Iwakuni mayoral vote hinges on base issue

IWAKUNI, Yamaguchi Prefecture--The debate over the relocation of carrier-based aircraft to Iwakuni came to a head with the mayoral election on Sunday.

Former mayor Katsusuke Ihara, 57, strongly opposes the relocation of aircraft from the Naval Air Facility Atsugi in Kanagawa Prefecture to the Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni as part of the realignment of U.S. Forces in Japan.

Ihara, who resigned as mayor late last year, has maintained the planned move would adversely affect the lives of residents despite government subsidies offered in exchange for accepting the relocation.

His opponent, Yoshihiko Fukuda, 37, a former Liberal Democratic Party Lower House member who is also running as an independent, was asked to challenge Ihara by local business and pro-relocation groups. Fukuda resigned from the Diet to run in the mayoral election.

Fukuda has promised to use the 13.4 billion yen the relocation plan would bring over 10 years to rehabilitate the city and other projects.

He also said he would turn the Iwakuni base facility into one for both military and civilian use.

His campaign was supported by the LDP and its junior coalition partner New Komeito.

The relocation plan is a major part of a Japan-U.S. accord on the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan.

In a referendum held in March 2006 under then-mayor Ihara, 87 percent of voters rejected the relocation plan.

In the April 2006 mayor's race, Ihara trounced other candidates, including one backed by the LDP.

Sunday's results were unavailable at press time.(IHT/Asahi: February 11,2008)