2016.05.28
Okinawa Assembly election campaigns started Friday
The election campaign of candidates for the 12th Okinawa Prefecture Assembly officially started on May 27th when the term of the last assembly expired. 71 hopefuls from 13 electoral districts in the prefecture are campaigning for the next nine days competing for the 48 assembly seats until the vote count is held on Jun. 5th.
An important focus in the election will be whether Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga’s ruling coalition is able to maintain its majority. The election is overshadowed by the on-going investigation of the American base contract worker accused of the murder of a local woman in Uruma City, and is meaningful, because it will reveal whether voters consider Onaga’s administration efficient in its contributions toward social and other issues facing Okinawa, such as the opposition to the construction of a replacement facility for MCAS Futenma in Henoko, Okinawa’s economic revitalization, child poverty, and others.
Among the current members of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly, Onaga’s party enjoys a large majority; there are 24 members of the ruling parties, 14 in the opposition, eight are independent, and one seat is vacant.