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Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

LDP approves a draft of 'New Constitution' that discards no-war provisions

The Liberal Democratic Party's panel on the Constitution has approved a draft of a new Constitution throwing away the current Constitution's pacifist provisions. This is the first draft of constitutional revision to be put forward by the ruling party, and it marks a new step toward adversely revising the Japanese Constitution.

The LDP draft has deleted "...resolved that never again shall we be visited with the horrors of war through the action of government" from the current Constitution's preamble, thus discarding the words expressing remorse for the past Japanese war of aggression.

As for Article 9, the draft keeps paragraph one declaring that "the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes" as it is. But it has replaced paragraph two (prohibiting Japan from maintaining a military and denying Japan the right to belligerency) with a provision allowing Japan to establish a self-defense military that will engage in "international cooperation activities" and "public order maintenance activities," thus making it possible constitutionally to deploy troops abroad.

It also calls on the Japanese people to "jointly hold the responsibility and obligation of supporting and protecting their country and society with affection, a sense of responsibility and spirit."

Emphasizing that this is an "independent Constitution," the draft says the "emperor as the symbol of the nation" will be retained. -- Akahata, October 29, 2005