Okinawa Times reported on the announcement made on Monday by the Okinawa prefectural government that Governor Onaga underwent surgery over the weekend to check whether a tumor in his pancreas is benign or malignant, predicting that since he will remain hospitalized for several weeks, his health condition could have a significant impact on local politics and the ongoing FRF construction off Camp Schwab. Pointing out that the Defense Ministry is aiming to begin pouring sand and soil into the waters near the base surrounded by the banks currently under construction and that the governor has been mulling withdrawing the landfill permit possibly before July in order to block the reclamation work, the daily speculated that the Okinawa leader may not be able to follow through with the planned administrative step depending on the condition of his health at that point. Local LDP officials are reportedly wondering if Onaga may choose to step down  before his current term expires in December due to poor health, with one of them conjecturing that the governor may be feeling so dispirited following the surgery and the defeat of his candidate in Sunday’s Okinawa mayoral election that he will decide not to run for reelection in the November race.