Abe in LDP presidential election campaign pledges to have new Constitution enacted

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Abe in LDP presidential election campaign pledges to have new Constitution enacted

Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe Shinzo, who is widely regarded as the front-runner in the race to become the next prime minister, made the revision of the Constitution his campaign pledge on August 22 at a ruling Liberal Democratic Party block convention by stating, "I will put the enactment of a new Constitution on the agenda."

He also stated that Japan needs to establish a new organization like the U.S. National Security Council in the Prime Minister's Official Residence in order to craft and coordinate in a comprehensive manner Japan's foreign and defense policies.

The LDP last November published its draft of a Constitution, and the government submitted to the Diet a bill to create a constitutional amendment procedure, including the establishment of a national referendum and special standing committees in both houses for this purpose.

Abe's remarks suggest that he will be quick in carrying out the enactment of the bill and finalizing the draft so as to achieve his goal of constitutional revision during his tenure of office if the opportunity presents itself.

Hatoyama Ichiro, who became prime minister in 1954, set forth a platform calling for a constitutional revision. But no prime minister made such remarks until 2001, when Koizumi Jun'ichiro came to power. In fact, it had been customary for the successive prime ministers from Ikeda Hayato, who came to the office in 1960, to promise not to revise the Constitution during their tenure.

Refusing to follow the custom, Koizumi directed the LDP to draw up a draft constitution. Abe, who intends to succeed Koizumi, is obsessed with bringing the revision into reality by accelerating the move.

Justifying the revision of the Constitution by stating, "I will create a new Japan," Abe aims at enabling Japan to exercise the right of collective self-defense so that Japan's military will be able to use force abroad together with the U.S. forces.

Abe's notion comes out of his hostility against the constitutional principles of peace that became the basis of postwar Japan reflecting on the past war of aggression; he regards them as "remnants of the U.S. occupation of Japan."

It should be questioned whether a person obsessed with fundamentally overturning the principles of postwar Japan is qualified to represent Japan.
- Akahata, August 23, 2006