Pro-constitutional revision lawmakers resolve to step up move to oppose Article 9 Association

   In a bid to step up its drive to adversely revise the Constitution, the “Parliamentarian Group to Establish a New Constitution” has carried out a shakeup by adding Democratic Party lawmakers to the executive board and confirmed a plan to recruit new members from the DPJ and the Komei Party.

   The parliamentary group set forth this direction at its general meeting on March 4.

   The DPJ is thus basically taking the same direction regarding the issue of constitutional revision as the ruling LDP despite its stated position of confronting the LDP.

   The group’s leader Nakasone Yasuhiro, a former prime minister, expressed enthusiasm for joining forces with key DPJ Dietmembers to increase the momentum of the movement for constitutional revision, saying, “It’s going to be a major project to decide on the vision for Japan by finding cross-party common ground among parties in favor of constitutional revision.”

   The need to create a grassroots base was called for at the meeting as the way to counter the “Article 9 Association” which represents the grassroots-based nationwide movement calling for the defense of the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution.

   Aichi Kazuo, an executive member of the group, said, “The ‘Article 9 Association’ is our main opponent with its many smaller organizations throughout Japan. We need to counter them by building our own strongholds in local communities.”

   Nakasone also said, “Our goal is to form a nationwide network in favor of constitutional revision and establish a cross-party group made up of national and local lawmakers who are in favor of revising the Constitution as early as possible.”

   The group’s new lineup includes former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, LDP Secretary General Ibuki Bunmei, LDP Policy Research Council Chair Tanigaki Sadakazu, Justice Minister Hatoyama Kunio, Foreign Minister Komura Masahiko, Finance Minister Nukaga Fukushiro, DPJ Secretary General Hatoyama Yukio, and DPJ Vice President Maehara Seiji.

- Akahata, March 5, 2008