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On September 9, DPJ Secretary General Yukio Edano met with a delegation from Okinawa that consisted of municipal mayors facing issues relating to US bases and former US bases, and also included the governor of Okinawa Hirokazu Nakaima, and received a petition “concerning the establishment of new legislation relating to the use of land formerly used by [US] forces.” Edano said “I will convey your proposal to the government and ruling party, and work to draft similar legislation.”
The main contest of the proposal is as follows:
1. The responsibility of national government should be made clear, and a framework established so that national government is actively involved.
2. The budget for this should be separate from the Okinawa reconstruction monies, and a framework set up so that a variety of administrative and budgetary systems and measures can be implemented.
3. With regard to the use of former base land in urban areas in central and southern Okinawa, it should be the responsibility of national government to establish a project implementation body, and projects should be implemented using national government funds.
4. Subsidies should be provided to compensate for the fact that the land in question cannot be put to profitable use during the period between its return and completion of work readying it for use.
5. Chapter 7 of the Okinawa Reconstruction Special Measures Law and the Special Measures Law Regarding the Return of Land Used by US forces in Okinawa Prefecture” (tentative translation) should be unified in a special measures law including the new system, and this should be a permanent law, in place until work on all former base land is completed.
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