Japan Press Weekly

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2014 April 9 - 15 [POLITICS]

Who profits from the revision of National Referendum Law?

Akahata editorial (excerpts)

Seven political parties, other than the Japanese Communist Party, jointly submitted to the Diet on April 8 a bill to amend the National Referendum Law (the law on procedures for constitutional revision), aiming to enact it by the end of the current Diet session in June. However, constitutional revision has become neither a major concern of the general public nor a pressing political issue. The number of people against constitutional revision has been increasing, and now a majority of the public opposes not only revising the Constitution itself but also changing its interpretation.

Even though constitutional revision or its procedures have never arisen as a serious issue since the Japanese Constitution came into effect in 1947, the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic and Komei parties forcibly enacted the National Referendum Law in 2007. The prime minister at that time was Abe Shinzo, the current prime minister.

Contrary to Abe’s intention, his first administration’s move to make an attack on the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution faced strong opposition from the public, and up to today, the referendum act has had no role to play.

An opinion poll conducted by the Yomiuri Shimbun (released on March 15) shows that respondents in favor of constitutional revision decreased to 42% from a year earlier, almost equaling the 41% against revision. Another poll the Asahi Shimbun published on April 7 indicates that those who don’t feel the need to revise the supreme law reached 50%, exceeding 44% feeling such need. As for Article 9, every poll shows that a majority is opposed to making any change in the provision. According to the Asahi’s survey, those who object to the article’s revision went up to 64% from 52% last year. As seen from these results, there is absolutely no necessity to revise the plebiscite act for amending the Constitution.

The bill was presented for the purpose of invoking the referendum law at any time in the future. The real intention of constitutional revisionists is to smooth the way for undermining the pacifist Constitution.

Past related articles:
> PM Abe once more seeks easier way to change pacifist Constitution [February 5, 2014]
> Law on procedures for constitutional revision must be abolished: JCP Ichida [May 18, 2010]