Shintaro Ishihara, the outspoken governor of Tokyo, says he has no intention of supporting a referendum on nuclear power being sought by a citizens group.
Shintaro Ishihara, the outspoken governor of Tokyo, says he has no intention of supporting a referendum on nuclear power being sought by a citizens group.
“(An ordinance for the referendum) cannot be introduced. I have no intention of introducing it,” Ishihara told a news conference on Feb. 10.
The citizens group, Minna de Kimeyo Genpatsu Kokumin Tohyo, plans to file a petition with the Tokyo governor seeking the establishment of an ordinance for the referendum.
The group said Feb. 9 that the number of signatures supporting the petition is expected to reach 300,000, above the minimum required 214,236.
At the news conference, Ishihara was scathing in his criticism of anti-nuclear movements.
“They are no more than a matter of sentiment as long as they do not present counterproposals,” he said. “(Nuclear power) has faced setbacks, failures and accidents. But civilization has made progress to this day by overcoming those experiences.”
The ordinance must pass the Tokyo metropolitan assembly by a majority vote before the referendum can be held.
Ishihara will state whether the referendum should be held when he submits a draft ordinance to the metropolitan assembly around the end of May.
Some metropolitan assembly members have expressed reservations about holding the referendum.