Japan Press Weekly

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2013 May 15 - 21 [POLITICS]

Abe Cabinet members lead parliamentarian group pushing for constitutional revision

Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and all of his seven closest aides in his Cabinet belong to a Diet members’ group that seeks to relax the requirements for constitutional revision set under Article 96 of the Constitution.

The seven aides are Deputy Prime Minister Aso Taro, Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide, two deputy chief cabinet secretaries, and three special advisors to the prime minister.

Of the 18 ministers in the Abe Cabinet, all but one are members of the group, and 90% of senior vice ministers (20 out of 22) and 83% of parliamentary secretaries (20 of 24) also take part in the group.

The Diet members’ association for amendment of Article 96 of the Constitution held a general meeting on May 13 for the first time after the December 2012 general election and chose chairman of the National Public Safety Commission Furuya Keiji as its president.

More than 350 lawmakers have membership in the association. Over 80% of the Japan Restoration Party, around 60% of the Liberal Democratic Party, and nearly 50% of the Your Party parliamentarians participate in the Constitutional revisionist group.

The association was established in June 2011. Abe and Aso have served as its advisors since then.

Related past article
> Constitutional revisionist Dietmen launched group (June 8, 2011)