Green Light for Constitutional Amendment

Whether or not they realized, Japanese voters lit green light for constitutional amendment. As a result of the election of House of Councillors on Sunday, legislators for constitutional amendment swell up to 165 out of all 242, which exceeded two-third majority required for initiative for national referendum. Post-election politics will not be focused on Abenomics or Trans-Pacific Partnership, but on amendment of Constitution of Japan that has long been untouchable.

Amendment power consists of four parties: Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito, Osaka Restoration Party and Party for Japanese Mind. Two-third majority can be obtained with 162 seats in House of Councillors. They added 76 seats on current 84 in the House, which would require two seats to two-third majority. However, there are 4 other independent lawmakers in the House, who are willing to join the amendment power. Another independent candidate who won a seat in this election joined LDP after the election. So, the amendment power reached 165 seats, consisting two-third majority.

Congratulated Prime Minister Shinzo Abe did not refer to the detail of his plan for constitutional discussion. “I think the voters wanted to accelerate Abenomics. This was not the election which asked yes or no to constitutional amendment,” told Abe in a TV program in Sunday night.

But, he showed his willingness to construct stable two-third majority. “I would like to construct two-third majority with the lawmakers for the opposite parties,” told Abe. “There are growing lawmakers in even Democratic Party,” Abe said, “who require constitutional amendment. It is important which provisions should be changed, and the argument of yes or no to constitutional amendment is meaningless.”

Those comments above typically revealed Abe’s fundamental attitude to the issue. Firstly, the point for him is not about yes or no, but how to make changes. As long as the voters gave two-third majority to the amendment power, Abe’s reasoning may not be baseless. To make sure the initiative will enjoy broad support from the public, Abe tries to include a part of opposite lawmakers.

He intentionally defied discussion for constitutional amendment in the election campaign. It is likely to start discussion in Constitution Research Council in each House, build consensus under leadership of LDP, present draft of new constitution as an agreement of most parties and change provisions as much as he can. Article 9 should not be excluded from the targets.