 Emperor can be female: JCP Ichida Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi stated that there is no logical grounds that the emperor must be male. This was in answer to questions at a press conference on January 11. Ichida stated: "It contravenes democracy and equality that an individual hereditarily becomes the 'symbol of the unity of the people. "However, how the emperor system should be dealt with is a matter to be decided on through public consensus in the future. The JCP Program stands for the defense of all articles of the Japanese Constitution, including emperor clauses. This means that the JCP will co-exist with the emperor system under the Constitution. In this context, consideration of a female emperor would be natural." (end) |