Ginowan Mayor Iha offers to run in Okinawa gubernatorial election+

NAHA, Japan, Aug. 20 Kyodo - Ginowan Mayor Yoichi Iha offered Friday to run in the Nov. 28 Okinawa Prefecture gubernatorial election, after calling for the U.S. Marine Corps'Futenma Air Station in his city to be relocated outside the prefecture.

He told a press conference that he will resign as Ginowan mayor in early
October to run in the gubernatorial election as an independent supported by
three local political parties including the Okinawa Prefecture chapter of the
Social Democratic Party.
Iha is thus expected to counter incumbent Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima, who reportedly
plans to announce his bid for reelection next month.
''This will be an important election to determine the future of Okinawa,'' Iha
said. ''The election will demonstrate the Okinawa people's resolve against the
Japanese and U.S. governments forcing Okinawa to host military bases.''
Iha also criticized Gov. Nakaima for refraining from specifying whether he
maintains his position of supporting the Futenma base's relocation within the
prefecture as indicated before the Democratic Party of Japan won power from the
Liberal Democratic Party last year.
The DPJ-led government had once vowed to nullify the LDP-led regime's agreement
with the U.S. government to relocate the base to Nago in the prefecture but has
eventually adopted the plan to move the base to Nago, embarrassing Gov. Nakaima
and Okinawa citizens.
Iha indicated his hope to get support from the DPJ's Okinawa Prefecture chapter
which has called for relocation of the base outside the prefecture while
refraining from clarifying its position on the gubernatorial race due to the
position of the DPJ-led central government.
Iha was elected Ginowan mayor first in 2003 and is now in his second four-year
term.
==Kyodo