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▼ Abe Confident Debate Will Progress on Top Law Revisions
- Category:Event
TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday he is confident that progress will be made on discussions between ruling and opposition parties on constitutional amendments, his long-cherished political ambition.
“I’m sure that discussions on constitutional amendments will go forward as part of efforts [by ruling and opposition parties] to find answers to challenging issues by exchanging ideas,” Abe said in a policy speech at both chambers of the Diet.
Japan will strengthen its defense capabilities as North Korea is accelerating its nuclear and missile development, the prime minister said.
It was Abe’s first policy speech at the Diet since his ruling coalition won a landslide victory in the Oct. 22 election for the House of Representatives.
In the election, Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, Komeito, maintained their combined two-thirds majority in the all-important lower house.
Support from a two-thirds majority in both Diet chambers is necessary to put any proposal to change the Constitution to a national referendum. More than two thirds of members of the House of Councillors are also in favor of such a revision.
In his Diet speech, Abe said his administration will boost efforts to realize a “revolution” in human resources development, a key LDP policy pledge in the election.
The revolution includes making preschool education free of charge by utilizing additional revenues from the planned consumption tax increase in October 2019.
At the outset of his speech, the prime minister cited tensions over North Korea’s nuclear and missile development and Japan’s aging population as serious challenges facing his country.
Abe demonstrated his resolve to overcome these issues based on the fresh public mandate he won in the election.
“What can open the way to Japan’s future are policy measures,” Abe said, calling on ruling and opposition parties to hold constructive discussions to resolve these issues.
Abe stressed that “Japan will work together with the international community to increase pressure on North Korea to force it to change policy.”
“Japan will take concrete action under the strong Japan-U.S. alliance in order to prepare for any contingency,” he added, suggesting that his administration will improve Japan’s missile defense.
The prime minister also reiterated his commitment to resolve the issue of abductions of Japanese nationals by North Korea. “My mission will not end” until all abduction victims return home, he said.
On measures to deal with Japan’s aging population and low birthrate, the prime minister said his administration will carry out a productivity “revolution” through technological innovation in addition to the revolution in human resources development.
“The government will make bold investments in child-rearing generations and children” by reducing the proportion of the additional consumption tax revenue used to repay the country’s debts, while maintaining a policy of realizing fiscal reconstruction, he said.
Aiming to promote free trade, Abe said that his administration intends to realize early effectuation of a new Trans-Pacific Partnership multilateral pact that was broadly agreed on earlier this month by Japan and 10 other countries, excluding the United States, which left the original TPP in January.
“I’m sure that discussions on constitutional amendments will go forward as part of efforts [by ruling and opposition parties] to find answers to challenging issues by exchanging ideas,” Abe said in a policy speech at both chambers of the Diet.
Japan will strengthen its defense capabilities as North Korea is accelerating its nuclear and missile development, the prime minister said.
It was Abe’s first policy speech at the Diet since his ruling coalition won a landslide victory in the Oct. 22 election for the House of Representatives.
In the election, Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, Komeito, maintained their combined two-thirds majority in the all-important lower house.
Support from a two-thirds majority in both Diet chambers is necessary to put any proposal to change the Constitution to a national referendum. More than two thirds of members of the House of Councillors are also in favor of such a revision.
In his Diet speech, Abe said his administration will boost efforts to realize a “revolution” in human resources development, a key LDP policy pledge in the election.
The revolution includes making preschool education free of charge by utilizing additional revenues from the planned consumption tax increase in October 2019.
At the outset of his speech, the prime minister cited tensions over North Korea’s nuclear and missile development and Japan’s aging population as serious challenges facing his country.
Abe demonstrated his resolve to overcome these issues based on the fresh public mandate he won in the election.
“What can open the way to Japan’s future are policy measures,” Abe said, calling on ruling and opposition parties to hold constructive discussions to resolve these issues.
Abe stressed that “Japan will work together with the international community to increase pressure on North Korea to force it to change policy.”
“Japan will take concrete action under the strong Japan-U.S. alliance in order to prepare for any contingency,” he added, suggesting that his administration will improve Japan’s missile defense.
The prime minister also reiterated his commitment to resolve the issue of abductions of Japanese nationals by North Korea. “My mission will not end” until all abduction victims return home, he said.
On measures to deal with Japan’s aging population and low birthrate, the prime minister said his administration will carry out a productivity “revolution” through technological innovation in addition to the revolution in human resources development.
“The government will make bold investments in child-rearing generations and children” by reducing the proportion of the additional consumption tax revenue used to repay the country’s debts, while maintaining a policy of realizing fiscal reconstruction, he said.
Aiming to promote free trade, Abe said that his administration intends to realize early effectuation of a new Trans-Pacific Partnership multilateral pact that was broadly agreed on earlier this month by Japan and 10 other countries, excluding the United States, which left the original TPP in January.
- November 18, 2017
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