Abe pins hope on 2 opposition parties for Constitutional revision

October 24, 2017

TOKYO- Following the Japanese ruling bloc's election victory, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday expressed his wish to obtain cooperation from the Party of Hope and Nippon Ishin no Kai in the opposition camp on constitutional amendment.

"We'll strive more to build a broad consensus" on the matter, Abe, president of the Liberal Democratic Party, told a press conference at the party's headquarters, referring to his long-cherished political aim of revising the top law.

Abe reiterated his eagerness to accelerate talks within the LDP to submit a constitutional amendment proposal that reflects his bid to revise war-renouncing Article 9 to recognize the country's Self-Defense Forces.

During the election campaign, the LDP highlighted constitutional amendment as a "pillar of the party platform for the first time," the prime minister said.

Abe claimed the election results suggest that voters have endorsed his party's envisioned constitutional revisions to recognize the SDF, expand free-of-charge education, unwind the recent integration of election districts for the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of parliament, and stipulate emergency response procedures.

Although Abe made little mention of constitutional amendment in his campaign speeches, he insisted at the news conference that pamphlets about the party's platform including constitutional revisions were "distributed" during the campaign.

In May, Abe disclosed a target of putting into effect a new constitution in 2020. But on Monday, he said there is "no set timetable" for constitutional amendment.

Meanwhile, the prime minister expressed his readiness to "respectfully answer" questions during parliamentary debates about his administration's alleged favoritism for school operators Kake Educational Institution and Moritomo Gakuen.

In response to recent media surveys showing that his cabinet was more unpopular than popular, Abe vowed to run the government "in a more humble and serious manner."

Abe is expected to be reelected prime minister at a special Diet session on Nov. 1. "On the back of strong support from the public, we are determined to make progress unwaveringly in politics together with the people, in order to produce results," he said. Jiji Press