Photo/Illutration The Okinawa prefectural government is revisiting its management of an office in Washington after opposition parties questioned its validity. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

NAHA—The opposition-controlled prefectural assembly is pressuring Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki over an outpost in the United States that has been used for lobbying on military base issues.

The opposition parties on Nov. 26 voted against approving the proposed settlement of general account for fiscal 2023, disputing operational procedures of the prefecture’s office in Washington.

The move is largely an expression of protest because the budget for the fiscal year has already been executed.

The Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito and Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party) on the same day voted to request an audit on the office’s operations.

In the June prefectural assembly election, the opposition bloc, including two independents, garnered 28 seats. Meanwhile, candidates who support Tamaki—a staunch opponent of U.S. bases in the prefecture—won 20 seats.

The LDP and Komeito, which form the ruling coalition in national politics, returned to a majority force in the prefectural assembly for the first time in 16 years.

The LDP has long questioned the need for maintaining the Washington office, which was opened in 2015 by Takeshi Onaga, Tamaki’s predecessor.

Its purpose is to appeal to U.S. government officials, congressional members and the general public on U.S. base-related issues independently of the central government.

Tamaki opposes the government’s plan to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, to Henoko Point in Nago, also in the prefecture.

Other base-related issues include crimes and accidents involving U.S. service members and environmental contamination with potentially carcinogenic organic fluorine compounds.

The prefectural government has spent about 100 million yen ($650,000) a year maintaining the office.

In an assembly session in September, the fact that the office has been operated by a stock company, in which the prefectural government holds shares, came up for discussion.

The LDP, Komeito and Nippon Ishin argued that prefectural officials working at a for-profit company are violating the Local Public Service Law unless they obtain the governor’s permission.

The prefectural government said it considered registering the office as a nonprofit corporation but that it was told by the U.S. government that a stock company was appropriate if it would engage in political activities.

However, details are unclear because related documents are no longer available.

Tamaki said he was unaware of this background until the office’s operations emerged as an issue.

The prefectural government on Nov. 25 apologized to assembly members for failing to manage as public assets the shares it acquired when the office was set up, among other flaws in procedures.

The LDP plans to call Tamaki to account over the issue.

“While (the governor) may disagree on the need for the office, we cannot overlook violations of rules,” said a source close the LDP’s prefectural chapter.

The prefectural government said it will rectify the identified flaws and provide another explanation before the prefectural assembly.

(This article was written by Taro Ono and Satsuki Tanahashi.)

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