Hatoyama gives up on settling Futemma issue by May 31: sources+

TOKYO, May 10 Kyodo -
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has likely given up on settling the issue of the
relocation of a U.S. Marine base in Okinawa Prefecture by his self-imposed
deadline of May 31 amid fierce opposition from local residents to moving the
base within the prefecture, government sources said Monday.
Meanwhile, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano indicated Monday that
Hatoyama and ministers concerned, such as Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and
Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa, agreed at their meeting earlier in the day
on a basic government plan on the fate of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futemma Air
Station in Ginowan.
Hatoyama has reneged on his promise to gain approval from both local residents
and Washington by the end of this month and will instead focus on negotiations
with the United States to achieve a breakthrough on the stalled issue that has
soured bilateral relations since Hatoyama took office last September, the
sources said.
The prime minister later told reporters that whenever he refers to a
''resolution,'' he means establishing a situation in which the government is
able to agree by May 31 with the DPJ's two coalition partners and the United
States as well as residents in affected areas to work in a certain
''direction.''
The Democratic Party of Japan-led government apparently decided to seek to
relocate most of the Futemma functions to a new pile-supported facility to be
built off the coast of the Marines' Camp Schwab in Nago, another city in
Okinawa -- a modification of an existing deal agreed in 2006 by a Liberal
Democratic Party government and the United States.
To ease the burden of hosting U.S. military bases on Okinawa, the government
will also aim to transfer some drills conducted at Futemma to Tokunoshima
Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, about 200 kilometers northeast of Okinawa,
although the mayors of the three towns on the island last week made it clear
that they will not accept the plan when they met with the premier in Tokyo.
Okinawa, which hosts the majority of U.S. forces stationed in Japan, is also
adamantly opposed to any of the Futemma functions remaining within the
prefecture, with local people urging the prime minister to fulfill his promise
made before last year's general election to move the facility outside Okinawa
altogether.
Despite strong local resistance, Hatoyama is still hoping to obtain the
understanding of residents in both Okinawa and Tokunoshima through dialogue.
''It is important to pursue the process of seeking understanding in a direct
way,'' he said, adding that he accepts criticism that he is lacking in
behind-the-scenes coordination.
Hatoyama again denied earlier Monday that he would extend his deadline despite
some Cabinet members advising him to do so, in an apparent attempt to prevent
him from feeling pressured to resign as prime minister if he fails to achieve a
conclusion that can satisfy the public by the end of this month.
Speaking at the press conference, Hirano acknowledged that it would not be easy
for the government to decide on the technical details of the relocation plan by
the end of this month.
But he added that the government is trying to win over locals and come up with
some sort of a ''political solution'' with a certain ''direction'' on where
Futemma should be relocated.
The top government spokesman has not elaborated on what could constitute a
''solution,'' securing an escape route for the government that has seen a
plunge in its support ratings because of the base relocation dispute.
Under the 2006 deal, Tokyo and the United States agreed to reclaim land off the
coast of Camp Schwab in a less crowded area of the prefecture for the
relocation of Futemma, with the aim of reducing the base-hosting burden on
Okinawa and removing risks posed to local residents by the Marines' facility.
The governments are set to hold the second round of working-level talks on the
issue in Washington on Wednesday.
==Kyodo
2010-05-10 23:54:31