“At this time, I have received no confirmation to meet with the prime minister of Japan and therefore I’ve decided not to make this trip,” Camacho said in a statement released yesterday by Charlene Calip, his director of communications.
Fitial left Saipan last Sunday.
He is scheduled to leave again over the weekend in time for the May 18 U.S. House subcommittee hearing on CNMI federalization law in Washington, D.C.
Local lawmakers are hoping Fitial would have the chance to meet with Hatoyama and bring good news upon his return.
Sen. Henry San Nicolas, Covenant-Tinian, said the Tinian delegation supports the governor’s mission.
“With the governor in Japan, waiting to meet with the prime minister, the Tinian leadership is hoping that he could come back with some good news,” he told the Variety.
Fitial was supposed to travel with Camacho to Tokyo.
On Friday, they met with six members of Japan’s ruling Democratic Party — Shoichi Kondo, Hiroshi Kawauchi, Minao Minayoshi, Shinsuke Amiya and Chobin Zukerann and Sen. Kumiko Aihara.
Two members of Japan’s Social Democratic Party, which is part of the ruling coalition, visited Saipan and Tinian in April.
Senate President Paul A. Manglona, Ind.-Rota, also expressed hope that the governor will be given the chance to discuss Tinian’s potential as a new site for the Futenma Airbase.
Futenma is located in Okinawa’s Ginowan City.
Under the U.S. and Japan’s 2006 agreement realigning their forces and bases, the air base will be relocated to another part of Okinawa.
But Okinawans now want it out of Japan due to environmental and security concerns.
Manglona said the U.S. will ultimately decide on Futenma’s new location.
Two-thirds of public lands on Tinian are leased to the U.S. military.
Guam, which will be the new home of about 8,000 U.S. Marines from Okinawa, doesn’t want Futenma.
Last Saturday, Camacho wrote to Hatoyama expressing Guam’s intention to further discuss the orderly relocation of the troops.
“Just as the people of Guam have answered the call of duty fighting in every war and conflict of the past century, we stand ready to support our country in this strategic mission to help improve the security of the nation.
Everyone in our community is a partner at the table and we are working diligently to ensure the success of this extraordinary venture,” he wrote to the prime minister.
“In view of the possibilities before us, it is necessary to have mutual assurances in place for an orderly and seamless relocation. In order to achieve this, Guåhan has made known that it lacks the financial capacity to accommodate the impacts that would affect its socio-economic, environmental, infrastructure and public services needs,” he added.
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