THE Tokushima City Assembly in Japan turned down a request from local residents for a referendum on whether to replace a 250-year-old dam on the Yoshino River. Twenty-two of the 40 assembly members voted against the request. Earlier, about 100,000 residents of the city signed a petition opposing the plan to remove the Number 10 dam and build an adjustable structure downstream, near Tokushima. Officials supporting the dam say it is needed to prevent loss of life and property during floods, but many residents disagree. They are furious that the views of 100,000 citizens are being ignored. They are now likely to elect an anti-dam candidate in elections slated for April 1999. Meanwhile, the country's construction ministry has decided to postpone and reconsider the dam project.