Japan Press Weekly

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2014 March 26 - April 1 [POLITICS]

Local assemblies raise voices against PM’s move to legalize use of collective self-defense right

Many local assemblies in Japan have adopted statements objecting to Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s move to legalize Japan’s use of the right to collective self-defense by changing the interpretation of the Constitution.

In Nagano Prefecture, so far, 17 municipal assemblies have adopted statements of this kind.

The Saku City Assembly, one of the 17 assemblies, on March 24 unanimously endorsed a statement opposing a revision of the constitutional interpretation on the exercise of the collective self-defense right.

The statement states that the government should not take liberties with the constitutional interpretation for its convenience.

Following the statement approval, the Japanese Communist Party assembly members’ group said, “The passage of the statement indicated the assembly’s determination to protect Article 9 of the Constitution and seek to maintain a peaceful Japan.”

On that day, similar statements were carried by a majority vote in the assemblies of Ibaraki’s Toride City and Kanagawa’s Yamato City.

The Toride City Assembly’s statement was jointly proposed by the JCP, the Yui no To, and independents.

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The ruling Liberal Democratic Party on March 25 decided to set up an organ to lay the groundwork for validating Japan’s use of collective self-defense right directly under President Abe Shinzo.

LDP Secretary General Ishiba Shigeru will head the organ which is being referred to as a task force on creation of national security legislation.