By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff

GOVERNOR Felix P. Camacho yesterday welcomed the new Consul General of Japan, Tamio Tomino, and the two leaders discussed the pending relocation of U.S. Marines to Guam as the result of Sunday’s Japanese election removed a political hurdle in the “road map” for realigning U.S. bases in Okinawa.
The relocation of the Marines to Guam is heavily dependent on the Okinawans’ willingness to accept a comprehensive agreement to realign the U.S. bases in Japan.
The U.S.-Japan realignment agreement, finalized last May, calls for a new facility to replace the Futenma base. The target date for completion is 2014, after which 8,000 Marines will be relocated to Guam.
But in the year since the road map was finalized, there has been little visible progress on relocating the Futenma base. Disagreements between Okinawan officials and the Japanese central government over the new facility’s design and a strong local anti-base movement have bogged down the relocation efforts.
But with Sunday’s election to the Upper House of Aiko Shimajiri, who had the backing of Japan’s ruling parties, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe now has an important political ally in his efforts to convince Okinawans to accept a comprehensive agreement to realign the U.S. bases in Japan.