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

Shii: Stop national referendum bill leading to constitutional revision

As the ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei parties are determined to enact a national referendum bill in the current Diet session as a necessary step to revise the Constitution, Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo called for a popular struggle to oppose the legislation at a news conference on March 16.

Shii said that the JCP has long pointed out that there are ulterior motives behind the proposal for the national referendum bill and that the main aim is to amend the war-renouncing Article 9 to turn Japan into a country that can constitutionally fight wars abroad. He said that the JCP criticism has been corroborated by the LDP Research Commission on the Constitution chair's statement that "the enactment of the national referendum law in the current ordinary session of the Diet should pave the way for opening negotiations between parties by the latter half of this year, followed by full-scale negotiations."

He also stated that the LDP's draft of a new Constitution has shown that their aim is to include in the Constitution a provision for the so-called "self-defense military" that can legally use force abroad.

The other point Shii noted was that the recent move for U.S. military realignment shows that Japan and the United States are working together to allow the Japanese Self-Defense Forces to take military action abroad together with U.S. forces.

Shii said that the national referendum bill was proposed in these circumstances as a first step in preparation for constitutional revision, and that the bill must be foiled by a concerted struggle inside and outside of the Diet.
- Akahata, March 17, 2006