January 5, 2017
Akahata editorial (excerpts)
Prime Minister Abe Shinzo in his New Year’s reflection stressed that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the enforcement of the postwar Constitution and said that his government will “launch in earnest its efforts to build a new nation.” He repeated the same statement at a press conference held on January 4 after visiting Ise Jingu Shrine. What underlies his remarks is his ambition for constitutional revision. The Abe government is intending to draw up draft amendments to the Constitution by narrowing down a list of amendment points through discussions at both houses’ Commissions on the Constitution which were reactivated in autumn 2016. It is evident that Abe is persisting on accomplishing his ambitions while trying to hide them from public scrutiny.
Among constitutional revisionists in the Liberal Democratic Party, Abe is particularly eager to change the Constitution. When he inaugurated his first government in 2006, he declared his determination to achieve a revision of the Constitution during his term of office. This provoked fierce public criticism which helped bring about the LDP defeat in the 2007 Upper House election and led to the change in government. After making a comeback in 2012, Abe proposed amending Article 96 of the Constitution which sets procedural requirements for constitutional revision. He was again criticized for using a “back door” method.
Abe, however, devoted himself to forcibly enacting the notorious war legislation which opens the way for Japan’s use of the collective self-defense right based on a new interpretation of the Constitution. After the war laws came into effect, Abe brought up the issue of constitutional revision focusing on Article 9 and an emergency clause, and went forward with the restart of Diet panels on the Constitution.
It is even more important to foil Abe’s ambitious attempt and make 2017 a year for protecting and utilizing the Constitution.
Past related articles:
> Abe wants to accomplish constitutional revision while still in office [March 3, 2016]
> What motivates Abe to change Constitution? [January 20, 22 & 23, 2015]
Prime Minister Abe Shinzo in his New Year’s reflection stressed that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the enforcement of the postwar Constitution and said that his government will “launch in earnest its efforts to build a new nation.” He repeated the same statement at a press conference held on January 4 after visiting Ise Jingu Shrine. What underlies his remarks is his ambition for constitutional revision. The Abe government is intending to draw up draft amendments to the Constitution by narrowing down a list of amendment points through discussions at both houses’ Commissions on the Constitution which were reactivated in autumn 2016. It is evident that Abe is persisting on accomplishing his ambitions while trying to hide them from public scrutiny.
Among constitutional revisionists in the Liberal Democratic Party, Abe is particularly eager to change the Constitution. When he inaugurated his first government in 2006, he declared his determination to achieve a revision of the Constitution during his term of office. This provoked fierce public criticism which helped bring about the LDP defeat in the 2007 Upper House election and led to the change in government. After making a comeback in 2012, Abe proposed amending Article 96 of the Constitution which sets procedural requirements for constitutional revision. He was again criticized for using a “back door” method.
Abe, however, devoted himself to forcibly enacting the notorious war legislation which opens the way for Japan’s use of the collective self-defense right based on a new interpretation of the Constitution. After the war laws came into effect, Abe brought up the issue of constitutional revision focusing on Article 9 and an emergency clause, and went forward with the restart of Diet panels on the Constitution.
It is even more important to foil Abe’s ambitious attempt and make 2017 a year for protecting and utilizing the Constitution.
Past related articles:
> Abe wants to accomplish constitutional revision while still in office [March 3, 2016]
> What motivates Abe to change Constitution? [January 20, 22 & 23, 2015]
