The City of Sapporo, in northern Japan, has declined to hold a referendum on a possible bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics.
The city assembly, led by Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party, which is also in power at the national level, refused to conduct a public vote. His meeting was streamed online.
Sapporo is known as one of the three candidate cities to host the 2030 Winter Games. Others are Salt Lake City and Vancouver. Spain has also expressed interest.
Salt Lake and Vancouver do not require referendums. One of the complications of the Spanish candidacy was the pressure to conduct a public vote.
When voters in other cities are given the choice, they always refuse to host the Olympics, often citing cost and disruption.
Sapporo officials have revealed that a referendum is not necessary because its poll shows that 52% are in favor of an Olympic bid.
Hitoshi Murakami, a member of the Japanese Communist Party who proposed the referendum, said the polling results were twisted because it was held shortly after the Tokyo Games.
Costs at the Tokyo Olympics are estimated at US $ 13.6 billion, most of which is public money. Some government audits have shown that the official cost is higher.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is expected to host the 2030 Olympics at meetings next May, in Mumbai, India. It could also award them for the winter of 2034.
Sapporo estimated the cost of hosting the Games at $ 2.6 billion, although it was impossible to accurately estimate the costs nearly eight years in advance. In addition, the Olympics regularly exceed the budget.
Paris will host in summer 2024, Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane, Australia, in 2032. The Winter Olympics of 2026 will take place in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Associated Press
Source: Radio-Canada
