As voters in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, prepare to cast their ballots Sunday for a mayoral election that is being closely watched in Tokyo and Washington, polls show the incumbent, who strongly opposes relocating the Futenma military base to the city's Henoko district, is leading his pro-base rival.
In response, top Liberal Democratic Party leaders have stepped up their support for the challenger even as comments by LDP Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba that Tokyo would decide the location of the replacement base have created anger among even pro-base supporters in Okinawa.
In a telephone poll of 860 Nago voters conducted this week by the Okinawa Times, the Asahi Shimbun and Ryukyu Asahi Broadcasting, Mayor Susumu Inamine held a clear lead over Bunshin Suematsu, who is backed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration.
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