It’s Me to Amend It

As if fundamentally hating it, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced his intention to amend the Constitution of Japan in his administration. Japanese Prime Minister is usually the president of the biggest leading party. Abe’s term as President of Liberal Democratic Party will expire September 2018. Newspapers recognized that Abe wanted to achieve amendment by then. Was it a campaign promise for the election this summer or simply a slogan?

In the discussion of Budget Committee in House of Councillors on Wednesday, Abe unequivocally revealed for the first time his hopeful time schedule for the amendment. “I’m hoping to achieve it by the end of the term,” answered Abe to a question of Kohei Otsuka, Democratic Party of Japan. It was unusual for an incumbent Prime Minister of Japan to raise constitutional amendment for a political agenda.

Abe knew how his words were hard to implement. “Initiative of constitutional amendment requires two-third majority in each Houses. It is mostly impossible for Liberal Democratic Party itself to achieve two-third majority. That will be difficult, if we cannot get approval from leading party and others,” told Abe. LDP and Komeito already have two-third majority in the House of Representatives. However, it is highly unlikely to achieve it in the House of Councillors after the summer election, which will elect only a half of members. Abe requested support from not only Komeito but some conservative opposite parties including Osaka Restoration Party.

But, Komeito has been highly reluctant to establish cooperative framework with Osaka Restoration Party, led by former populist mayor of Osaka, Toru Hashimoto. “It sounded as too abrupt to use the word of ‘by the end of the term.’ Is it correct that the discussion over constitutional amendment converges on two alternatives, the opposites and the supportives?” told Chairman of Policy Research Council of Komeito, Noritoshi Ishida.

Whether Komeito likes it or not, it is inevitable that constitutional amendment will be one of the biggest issue in the summer election. In other words, the election can be a basic referendum over the amendment, struggling two-third majority of amending powers.

LDP has its own the draft of constitutional amendment, which includes reform of self-defense force into ordinary force. There is a constant argument that having ordinary force contradicts Article 9 of the Constitution, which denies having it. So, Abe and LDP consider making trivial changes for the starters. But, it is obvious for Abe not having concrete idea to achieve two-third majority. Some LDP members supposed that Abe referred to it for avoiding criticisms by the conservatives as not making every effort.