referendum

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LDP, Komei, and DPJ agree to enact constitutional referendum bill in next Diet session

Officials of the Liberal Democratic, Komei, and Democratic parties involved in constitutional revision met on December 20 and agreed to jointly work to get a bill for a national referendum on constitutional revision enacted in the next ordinary Diet session to be convened in January.

Based on the agreement, the three parties will jointly draft the bill from early next month, focusing on some points of disagreement.

The LDP and Komei Party, expecting to get the DPJ's quick support for the bill, announced that their original draft will not regulate media coverage on campaigns concerning constitutional revision. They maintain that the minimum age to be eligible to vote should remain as it is now (over 20 years old), while the DPJ calls for lowering this to 18.

Their cooperation has been accelerated just after the LDP published its new constitutional draft on October 28.

Then, the DPJ Constitution Research Council on October 29 proposed that paragraph 2 of Article 9 banning the use of force be deleted. DPJ Representative Maehara Seiji stated on December 8 during his U.S. tour that "Japan needs to revise the Constitution so that Japan may take responsibility for protecting sea-lanes beyond the 1,000-nautical mile range."

Maehara's statements caused a turmoil because they went beyond what even the LDP dares to say, representing his ultra pro-U.S. position and showing that he is resolved to revise the Constitution.

Ota Akihiro, Komei Party Constitution Research Council chair lectured on December 20 that "constitutional revision seems to be unavoidable." He argued that Article 9 must refer to Japan's international contribution, suggesting again that the Komei Party supports eliminating paragraph 2 of Article 9. The Komei Party will compile its new constitutional draft by the end of next year, he added.

Rapid adjustment of their constitutional drafts shows the urgent need to block the referendum bill, the first hurdle in their attempt to revise the Constitution.
- Akahata, December 22, 2005