THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
2010/05/28
A widening rift in the ruling coalition over the Futenma airfield became more pronounced Thursday after minor partner, the Social Democratic Party, agreed to stand behind its leader on the issue.
Ever since Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama revealed during a weekend trip to Okinawa Prefecture that the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma would be relocated to off the coast of Henoko in Nago, in the same prefecture, SDP leader Mizuho Fukushima has been more vocal in expressing her opposition to the proposal.
The fact she sits in the Hatoyama Cabinet as a state minister in charge of consumer affairs and other matters makes her opposition to official policy particularly galling for the prime minister.
On Wednesday, Fukushima said she would refuse to sign any document that represented the Hatoyama Cabinet's consensus on the Futenma issue if it was based on an agreement between Japan and the United States that would move Futenma functions to Henoko.
On Thursday morning, SDP executives held a meeting and agreed to back Fukushima's decision.
At the SDP meeting on Thursday, Fukushima said, "We cannot allow the Japan-U.S. joint statement to have wording that refers to Henoko or a resolution of the issue with a move to another location in Okinawa."
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