Abe, Koike divided over possible revision to Article 9 of Constitution

October 12, 2017

TOKYO- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe claimed on Wednesday that all members of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party support his proposal to revise Article 9 of the country's constitution in a way that clearly recognizes the Self-Defense Forces.

Abe, president of the LDP, made the remarks in the first televised debate among political party leaders since the official campaign for the Oct. 22 general election started on Tuesday.

He also said the LDP has not yet built a consensus on whether to maintain the second paragraph of Article 9 that stipulates Japan does not possess "land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential."

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, who leads the Party of Hope, argued that Abe's proposal on Article 9 is problematic in terms of civilian control of the SDF.

Natsuo Yamaguchi, head of Komeito, the LDP's junior coalition partner, said his party is watching discussions within the LDP on the Article 9 issue.

Japanese Communist Party leader Kazuo Shii and Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan chief Yukio Edano clarified their parties' opposition to the prime minister's constitutional amendment proposal.

Elsewhere in the debate, Koike left open the possibility of her party forming a coalition government with the LDP following the House of Representatives election.

In contrast, Nippon Ishin no Kai leader Ichiro Matsui flatly denied that his party would form a coalition with the LDP-Komeito pair. Jiji Press