NHK reported online that a civic group has submitted to the Okinawa Prefectural Government a petition with 92,848 signatures that it collected from May to July this year for holding a prefectural referendum on whether or not the Futenma base should be relocated to Henoko, Nago. The network said the number of signatures greatly exceeds the minimum required for the prefectural government to submit an ordinance bill to the assembly. According to the network, Okinawa is expected to submit the bill during the period from Sept. 6 to 20, and the assembly will hold deliberations during an extraordinary session slated for this month.