Japan Press Weekly

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2021 December 15 - 21 [POLITICS]

Akamine: politicians should focus on fixing reality to meet all stipulations of the Constitution, not on constitutional revision

A discussion in the House of Representatives Commission on the Constitution took place on December 16 for the first time after the inauguration of the Kishida government. Japanese Communist Party representative Akamine Seiken attended the meeting and said, "A majority of people do not think that constitutional revision is a priority in national politics."

Akemine said that the commission should focus on discussions on how to fix reality to meet all stipulations of the Constitution and apply the spirit of the Constitution to everyone's daily life, not on constitutional amendments.

Okuno Soichiro of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan also said that discussions in the commission should not assume the adoption of the constitutional amendments proposed by the Liberal Democratic Party. Noting that the LDP-Komei government kept ignoring the opposition parties' demand for convocation of the extra Diet session based on Article 53 of the Constitution, Okuno stated, "The ruling parties, which refuse to respect the present Constitution, are not qualified to talk about revising the Constitution."

An LDP representative insisted on the need to specify Japan's Self-Defense Forces in Article 9 of the Constitution and to add an emergency provision to the Constitution, urging immediate Diet discussions on constitutional revision. A "Nippon Ishin no Kai" party representative suggested that a concrete schedule be mapped out in the commission's discussions so that a national referendum on constitutional revision can be held in tandem with the House of Councilors election next year. A Komei Party representative called for a weekly commission meeting in order to discuss the creation of an emergency provision.

Dietmembers are obliged to defend and respect the Constitution as stipulated in Article 99, "The Emperor or the Regent as well as Ministers of State, members of the Diet, judges, and all other public officials have the obligation to respect and uphold this Constitution." However, these Dietmembers' remarks are aiming for constitutional revision.