滝本 匠 
July 11, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo
The Ryukyu Shimpo invited the Okinawa electoral district House of Councillors member Yoichi Iha, 70, to their headquarters in Izumizaki, Naha on the morning of July 11, the day after he secured reelection, where we asked him about his resolutions and policy goals for his second term. Iha said, “I think the election fight was one where the government tried to squash the will of the Okinawa people, but they were able to bounce back all over the prefecture. It was a concrete example of the Okinawan people’s growing opposition to new base construction in Henoko.” He emphasized the hard-fought battle with his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) challenger, whom he defeated by a margin of 2,888 votes.
Iha indicated that his victory was a good indicator leading up to the gubernatorial race set to take place in September, and said for his second term he, “Wants to work towards a peaceful, base-free Okinawa.”
He also emphasized a desire to work on rebuilding the Okinawan economy after the damage done by the coronavirus pandemic, as well as lowering the sales tax on consumer goods to 5%. He also indicated an awareness that focusing too much on the U.S. military base issues could prove an impediment to working on economic development, and that he would ask the central government to take responsibility for strengthening policies to eradicate the serious childhood poverty issue.
(English translation by T&CT and Sam Grieb)
