February 5, 2016
Prime Minister Abe Shinzo in Diet deliberations repeatedly displayed his ambition to kill Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution which renounces war and the use of military force.
At a House of Representatives Budget Committee meeting on February 3, PM Abe noted that his ruling Liberal Democratic Party in 2012 drafted a new constitution which replaces the current Clause 2 of Article 9 prohibiting war potential with a new one allowing Japan to use military force for self-defense. Citing that 70% of constitutional law scholars suspect that the Japanese Self-Defense Forces exist in violation of the Constitution, PM Abe said that such a situation should be corrected through constitutional amendment. He made these remarks in reply to a question by LDP lawmaker Inada Tomomi.
On the following day, the PM again indicated his obsession with constitutional revision at the Lower House Budget Committee meeting. Responding to Democratic Party representative Ogushi Hiroshi, PM Abe said, “To regard the Constitution as a thing that should be left untouched isn’t good.”
Later on the day at a press conference, Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo referred to PM Abe’s remark that 70% of constitutional experts reckon the SDF to be unconstitutional.
Shii pointed out that the prime minister bulldozed through the war legislation in defiance of opposition from 95% of constitutional experts who considered the legislation to be unconstitutional, and criticized PM Abe for using experts’ voices at his convenience.
Shii added that the JCP calls for the full implementation of Article 9 after changing the actual status of the SDF which conflicts with the war-renouncing provision and achieving Japan’s disarmament under public consensus.
Past related articles:
> Abe plans to initiate constitutional revision after 2016 Upper House election [February 6, 2015]
> Abe plans to initiate constitutional revision after 2016 Upper House election [February 5, 2015]
At a House of Representatives Budget Committee meeting on February 3, PM Abe noted that his ruling Liberal Democratic Party in 2012 drafted a new constitution which replaces the current Clause 2 of Article 9 prohibiting war potential with a new one allowing Japan to use military force for self-defense. Citing that 70% of constitutional law scholars suspect that the Japanese Self-Defense Forces exist in violation of the Constitution, PM Abe said that such a situation should be corrected through constitutional amendment. He made these remarks in reply to a question by LDP lawmaker Inada Tomomi.
On the following day, the PM again indicated his obsession with constitutional revision at the Lower House Budget Committee meeting. Responding to Democratic Party representative Ogushi Hiroshi, PM Abe said, “To regard the Constitution as a thing that should be left untouched isn’t good.”
Later on the day at a press conference, Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo referred to PM Abe’s remark that 70% of constitutional experts reckon the SDF to be unconstitutional.
Shii pointed out that the prime minister bulldozed through the war legislation in defiance of opposition from 95% of constitutional experts who considered the legislation to be unconstitutional, and criticized PM Abe for using experts’ voices at his convenience.
Shii added that the JCP calls for the full implementation of Article 9 after changing the actual status of the SDF which conflicts with the war-renouncing provision and achieving Japan’s disarmament under public consensus.
Past related articles:
> Abe plans to initiate constitutional revision after 2016 Upper House election [February 6, 2015]
> Abe plans to initiate constitutional revision after 2016 Upper House election [February 5, 2015]
