LDP-Backed Candidate Wins Naha Mayor Race

Naha, Okinawa Pref., Oct. 23 (Jiji Press)--A Liberal Democratic Party-backed rookie candidate defeated his only rival, endorsed by the All Okinawa camp opposing a U.S. base relocation plan, in Sunday's mayoral election in Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture.

Former Naha Vice Mayor Satoru Chinen, 59, supported by the LDP-Komeito pair, garnered over 64,000 votes, against some 54,000 votes collected by the other candidate, Takeharu Onaga, 35, a former assembly member of the southernmost Japan prefecture.

Onaga, the second son of the late former Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga, had backing from the All Okinawa camp including Governor Denny Tamaki and from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the Japanese Communist Party, Reiwa Shinsengumi and the Social Democratic Party.

Voter turnout stood at 47.05 pct, down from 48.19 pct in the previous election four years ago.

Chinen served as an aide to the former governor, who was the central figure in the All Okinawa camp.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]