Nakaima vows to seek base relocation out of Okinawa during 4-yr term+

NAHA, Japan, Nov. 29 Kyodo - Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima, who was reelected in Sunday's gubernatorial race, said Monday he will keep calling for the relocation of a key U.S. Marine base out of the prefecture during his second four-year term as governor.

Nakaima, who beat former Ginowan Mayor Yoichi Iha in a closely contested poll,
also reiterated at a news conference in Naha that there is ''no place'' in
Okinawa that will host the relocation facility of the U.S. Marine Corps'
Futenma Air Station and said it would be ''faster'' to find a candidate site in
mainland Japan.
Although the governor said he will continue to hold dialogue with the central
government over the Futenma transfer, he said it is better for Tokyo to give up
on implementing a current Japan-U.S. plan to move the base in a crowded
residential area in Ginowan to a less densely populated coastal area in
Okinawa's Nago.
The 71-year-old governor, who had in the past conditionally accepted the base
relocation to Nago, brushed aside speculation he will soon change his position
and eventually give his nod to the Futenma transfer within Okinawa.
''Okinawa people remain enraged as they think they were made light of by the
central government. Our anger won't easily go away,'' Nakaima said, referring
to former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's failed effort to seek to move the
Futenma base out of the prefecture or even abroad.
The Okinawa governor can effectively halt the plan to move the Futenma airfield
to the Henoko district in Nago because he has the authority to approve land
reclamation necessary to construct a replacement military facility.
Asked whether he will veto the relocation plan, Nakaima said, ''A project which
is not feasible will not be a subject of my judgment'' with regards to the land
reclamation.
==Kyodo