THE JAPAN NEWS


 

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is making arrangements to compile the party’s draft revisions to the Constitution by the end of this year, a step backing up Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s recent announcement that he wanted an amended top law to come into force in 2020.

Given the possibility that discussions by the House of Representatives’ Commission on the Constitution and the House of Councillors’
Commission on the Constitution could take considerable time, the LDP aims to present its draft during the 2018 ordinary Diet session. The LDP is focusing on three main items, including the addition of a provision that stipulates a constitutional basis for the Self-Defense Forces, as Abe has suggested.

On Wednesday, senior LDP officials, including Secretary General Toshihiro Nikai and Executive Acting Secretary General Hakubun Shimomura, held talks at party headquarters and agreed on a plan to establish a new organization under the party’s Constitutional Reform Promotion Headquarters, which is headed by former Justice Minister Okiharu Yasuoka.

It is expected that establishing this subcommittee will speed up discussions on compiling draft revisions to the Constitution.

The LDP leadership decided that submitting the draft revisions to the supreme law commissions of both chambers during the 2018 ordinary Diet session and encouraging debate among all parties would leave plenty of time to craft a consensus with the other parties.

The LDP is also considering talks with its coalition partner Komeito and opposition Nippon Ishin no Kai before the revisions are presented to the Diet, with the aim of submitting them jointly.

Based on the instructions of Abe, who is also LDP president, discussions will center on three main items: Maintain the first and second paragraphs of Article 9 and add a provision stipulating a constitutional basis for the Self-Defense Forces; specify free education from preschool to higher education, including university; and add a clause clarifying the response to an emergency, such as a major disaster.

Until now, internal LDP discussions on revising the Constitution have been handled by the Constitutional Reform Promotion Headquarters.

Although Yasuoka and other top leaders at the headquarters are well experienced in previous discussions on changing the top law, some senior LDP members have been dissatisfied with their achievements.

“They gave too much weight to reaching a consensus with opposition parties, and little progress was made on writing draft revisions,” a member of the LDP leadership said.

In a bid to swiftly consolidate opinion within the party, the LDP leadership is considering making executives close to Abe, including Vice President Masahiko Komura, members of the new organization that will be under the reform promotion headquarters.

Nikai emphasized the importance of the new system Wednesday.
“Some experts have worked very hard for us until today, but we can’t just keep asking them to do that,” Nikai told reporters at the Prime Minister’s Office.