Japan Press Weekly

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2017 October 25 - 31 TOP3 [POLITICS]

Axis of political confrontation is whether to defend Article 9

Just a day after the general election, executives of political parties on October 23 attended a TV debate program. The debate made it clear that the axis of confrontation is between the Liberal Democratic Party plus its supplementary forces seeking to change Article 9 of the Constitution and the pro-constitution Japanese Communist Party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, and the Social Democratic Party allied with the Civil Alliance.

Earlier on the same day, Prime Minister Abe Shinzo at a press conference said that the LDP will begin discussing in detail a draft for amendment to the Constitution and submit the draft to the Commissions on the Constitution of the Diet.

On the debate program aired on NHK, JCP Secretariat Head Koike Akira pointed out that in the general election, the three opposition parties’ collaborative position to resist Abe’s constitutional revision push attracted much support and that the CDPJ became the largest opposition party in the House of Representatives. He stressed, “Public demand to protect Article 9 increased during the election campaign.”

CDPJ acting chief Nagatsuma Akira said, “From the viewpoint of upholding constitutionalism and putting the brakes on state power, Abe’s intent to create a constitutional clause legitimating the Self-Defense Forces is unacceptable.” SDP leader Yoshida Tadatomo said that to legitimize the SDF in the supreme law is tantamount to legitimizing the unconstitutional war laws.

On the other hand, LDP Executive Acting Secretary-General Hagiuda Koichi said that the party will push forward with a plan to revise the Constitution to in order to make the SDF constitutional. Hope Party acting head Tarutoko Shinji expressed his support for the LDP’s plan, saying that discussions on an Article 9 revision should not be postponed.