Okinawa Liberal Democratic Party

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The Liberal Democratic Party Okinawa ( Jap. 沖縄自由民主党 , Okinawa Jiyu-Minshu-tō ; . English Okinawa Liberal Democratic Party , shortly OldP ) was a conservative political party in the US-administered Ryukyu Islands , which today Japan related Okinawa Prefecture . As OLDP, it existed from 1959 to 1964 and from 1967 to 1970, its predecessor party was formed in 1952. In 1970 the party joined the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on the Japanese main islands after the 1969 agreement on the integration of Okinawa into the state of Japan and founded the Okinawa Prefectural Association.

Ryūkyū Democratic Party

Founding ceremony of the Ryūkyū Democratic Party in 1952.

1952 founded conservative former members of the "Socialist Mass Party Okinawa" to Higa Shōhei together with independent conservative MPs of the first Rippōin the Democratic Party Ryūkyū ( 琉球 民主党 , Ryūkyū minshutō ; Ryukyu Democratic Party ). Under Higa as gyōsei shuseki ( 行政 主席 , "head of administration"; Chief Executive ) of the newly established "Government of the Ryūkyū Islands" ( 琉球 政府 , Ryūkyū seifu ; Government of the Ryukyu Islands ) the Democratic Party supported the government and pursued a policy of Cooperation with the US authorities who ultimately retained control over the administration of Okinawa. The opposition formed mainly the moderate socialist "mass party" and the communist-oriented Okinawa Jinmintō (" Okinawa People's Party "; Okinawa People's Party ).

Higa died in office in 1956 and was replaced by Tōma Jūgō as gyōsei shuseki . The Democratic Party split into supporters of his policy ( Tōma-ha ; Tōma faction) and opponents who rallied around Matsuoka Seiho as the Matsuoka faction. Since the factions could not agree, the party remained without a chairman. In the 4th election to the Rippōin, some members ran as independents, the Democratic Party fell from 17 to eight seats and was surpassed by the "Socialist Mass Party".

Okinawa Liberal Democratic Party

Ōta Seisaku, chairman of the OLDP.

For the determination of a successor to Tōma - since 1957 the US authorities consulted the parliament before the appointment - many Conservatives sought an association of Conservatives in order to be able to speak in the Rippōin with one voice. They founded the Okinawa Liberal Democratic Party in October 1959 and decided that the next gyōsei shuseki should also become party leader. The High Commissioner for the Ryūkyū Islands ( 琉球 列島 高等 弁 務 官 , Ryūkyū-rettō kōtō benmukan ; High Commissioner of the Ryukyu Islands ) selected Donald Prentice Booth Ōta from among the three candidates supported by the OLDP, Tōma, Matsuoka and Ōta Seisaku also became chairman of the OLDP.

High Commissioner Paul W. Caraway triggered the so-called “Caraway whirlwind” ( Caraway sempū ) with his policy , which split the OLDP.

In the 5th Rippōin elections in 1960, the OLDP was able to achieve a clear victory with 22 of the 29 seats and strengthened the position of Ōtas. That changed under the new High Commissioner Lt.Gen, who was appointed in 1961. Caraway , who tried to strengthen the authority of the US authorities at the expense of Japanese influences and the civil autonomy of the Ryūkyū Islands. Ōta supported Caraway's policy and the OLDP split again. The opponents of Caraway's policies were led by then-mayor of Naha , Nishime Junji , and left the party.

Democratic Party

In 1964, Albert Watson II, a new high commissioner took office; in the same year Matsuoka replaced Seiho Ōta as head of administration. The Conservative MPs agreed on a common position and in December 1964 founded the Democratic Party ( 民主党 Minshutō ; Democratic Party ) under Matsuoka's chairmanship, which remained clearly the strongest party in the 7th Rippōin elections in 1965 with 19 out of 32 seats. From 1965 the gyōsei shuseki was elected by the Rippōin, and from 1968 directly by the people.

The Second Okinawa Liberal Democratic Party

With the return of Okinawa under Japanese sovereignty looming, ties between the conservatives and the Liberal Democratic Party on the main islands deepened. From December 1967 the party called itself again OLDP, chairman remained Matsuoka Seiho, who in 1968 had to give up the post as head of administration to the first directly elected Yara Chōbyō .

After the agreement between Richard Nixon and Satō Eisaku in 1969 about the handover of Okinawa to Japan, the OLDP changed in March 1970 to the Okinawa Prefectural Association of the Japanese LDP.

Web links

Japanese name: As is common in Japan, the family name comes before the first name in this article . Thus, Higa is the family name, Shōhei the first name.