Abe renews eagerness to clarify SDF in constitution

May 4, 2018

Tokyo- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reiterated his eagerness on Thursday to clarify the rationale for the existence of the Self-Defense Forces in the pacifist constitution.

"The time has come for us to work on revising the constitution," Abe said in a video message to a forum in Tokyo of a private organization promoting constitutional amendments. "We need to build a broad consensus among the people."

Thursday was the Constitution Memorial Day, a national holiday, to mark the 71st anniversary of the enforcement of the constitution in 1947. Japan's supreme charter has never been revised since being drafted by US occupation forces after World War II.

In a message to last year's forum of the same group, Abe set his sights on bringing a revised constitution into force in 2020.

Superficially, he proposed adding language to clarify the existence of the triservice SDF in war-renouncing Article 9, which currently bans Japan from possessing any forces as means of settling international disputes, or other war potential.

"Over the past year, debate on rewriting the constitution has been activated greatly and become more specific," Abe said in the latest message.

Referring to four-point amendment draft drawn up by his ruling Liberal Democratic Party in March, including a revision to Article 9, Abe said, "We've seen a deepening of discussions."

This time, the prime minister stopped short of specifying the time frame for revising the constitution. Still, he renewed his determination for amendments.

"We must put an end to controversy over the constitutionality (of the SDF)," he said. "This is the responsibility of politicians living in the present and the LDP."

Abe also said, "It is evident that if we stipulate explicitly the existence of personnel who put their lives at risk to perform their duties of protecting the safety of our nation, their legitimacy will be clarified."

At the forum, Kiyohiko Toyama, secretary-general of the constitution research council of Komeito, the junior coalition partner of the LDP, called for prudence by lawmakers in proposing a revision to Article 9 and putting it to a public vote.

"If it (a proposed revision to Article 9) were to be rejected in a national referendum, it would have a significant impact on Japan's security," Toyama said. "It would be desirable (for an amendment proposal) to be approved by an overwhelming majority of the people."

Any proposal to revise the constitution needs to be approved by at least two-thirds of members in both chambers of parliament and to win majority support in a subsequent national referendum.

For Abe's goal of putting a revised constitution into force in 2020, this year is a make-or-break year for orchestrating an amendment proposal by lawmakers. In 2019, the timing for calling a national referendum will be limited due to a host of important events, including unified local elections, the triennial House of Councillors election and ceremonies related to Emperor Akihito's abdication.

Abe's constitutional amendment plan been clouded, however, by falling public approval ratings for his government after a spate of scandals, including cronyism allegations against him.

The sagging popularity has also weakened the prospect of Abe winning a third term as LDP president in the party leadership election this autumn. Jiji Press