Hastened Discussion for Amendment

Urged by its President, or Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, the boarding members of Headquarters for Promotion of Constitutional Amendment in Liberal Democratic Party decided to make new draft of the amendment by the end of this year. They will discuss mainly four points including change of Article 9, which is a fundamental provision for post-war pacifism of Japan. The leading party seems to be hastened by political schedule made by Abe administration.

Abe announced on the Constitution’s Day last month his intention to activate new constitution in 2020. He proposed adding new provision in Article 9 for guaranteeing the status of Self-defense Force, leaving two sections of the article untouched. The first sections declares renouncing war as a way to settle international conflict and the second one denied possession of force. It is concerned that having Self-defense Force can contradict non-possession of force.

The headquarters raised four main talking points for amendment: referring to Self-defense Force in Article 9, free education including for high school, emergency clause for temporary restriction of human rights, and no integration of electoral districts of House of Councillors beyond prefectural border. Each of those points has been argued as not being allowed in current Constitution.

There is an argument that those amendments are not necessary, because they can be cleared with flexible interpretation. LDP has not completed the discussion over that fundamental question, prioritizing amendment. “Understanding of the people cannot be generated with prolonged abstract discussion,” said Director of the Headquarters, Okiharu Yasuoka. “It is the time for our party and the Diet to have active discussion with concrete idea.”

There still is an argument even in LDP that the process of amendment is going forward too fast. LDP has its own draft of amendment that designated SDF as National Defense Force, abolishing Section 2 of Article 9. Abe’s proposal of maintaining SDF does not coincide with basic policy of the party. “We need to deliberate what the draft has been,” told former Minister of Defense, Shigeru Ishiba.

Abe expects a schedule of constitutional amendment, in which the draft will be submitted to ordinary session of the Diet next year and the national referendum will be made simultaneously with election of House of Representatives to attract people’s attention. Abe regards the referendum for the amendment as popular vote for his administration.