名護市長選、投票始まる　辺野古、知事選に影響

　米軍普天間飛行場（沖縄県宜野湾市）の辺野古移設の是非が争点となった同県名護市長選は２３日午前７時から投票が始まり、午後８時に締め切られ即日開票される。移設反対派の元市議で新人の岸本洋平氏（４９）＝立民、共産、れいわ、社民推薦＝と、推進派が推す現職の渡具知武豊氏（６０）＝自民、公明推薦＝の一騎打ち。選挙結果は移設工事のほか、夏の参院選や秋の県知事選に影響しそうだ。
　同市長選で移設問題が争点になったのは今回が７度目で、２０１８年の辺野古沿岸部への土砂投入開始後は初めて。新型コロナウイルスの変異株「オミクロン株」の感染が急拡大する中での異例の選挙戦となった。
　有権者数は４万９９５９人。午前１１時現在の中間投票率は６．３４％で、前回を２．４７ポイント下回っている。２万７５５人が期日前投票を行った。（2022/01/23-11:37）

Voting started in a closely watched mayoral election in Nago in the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa on Sunday morning.
   The outcome of the election is expected to have impacts on a controversial U.S. base relocation project, as well as on this summer's election for the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of Japan's parliament, and the Okinawa gubernatorial race in autumn.
   The poll will be closed at 8 p.m. (11 a.m. GMT), and ballot counting will begin after that.
   In the election, 49,959 voters will choose from former Nago city assembly member Yohei Kishimoto, 49, a first-time candidate, and incumbent Mayor Taketoyo Toguchi, 60.
   Kishimoto opposes the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma air station from a congested area of Ginowan in Okinawa to the Henoko coastal district of Nago. He is backed by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the Japanese Communist Party, the Social Democratic Party and Reiwa Shinsengumi.