Abe renews resolve to effectuate new Constitution by 2020

December 20, 2017

Tokyo- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reiterated his resolve on Tuesday to put a new constitution into force by 2020.

"We should deepen constitutional discussions and hold active debates on what the country should be like," Abe said at a lecture meeting sponsored by the Research Institute of Japan, a Jiji Press affiliate. "I hope to make 2020, when the (Tokyo) Olympics take place, the year Japan is reborn."

Voters will decide whether or not and how to revise the top law in a national referendum, Abe observed, showing hope for deep debates at the commissions on the constitution of both chambers of the Diet, the country's parliament.

On the next leadership election for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, expected for September 2018, Abe said, "My head is full of thoughts" about the next ordinary Diet session seen starting next month.

"I'll think about (the election) later," he said.

Abe stressed the policy of promoting cooperation in the entire international community to continue putting pressure on North Korea until the country "starts calling for dialogue."

"I hope to identify what is the best form of defense power that is necessary to protect the nationals, while maintaining the basic premise that we take an exclusively defense-oriented posture," Abe said.

He thus indicated that the government will make all-out efforts to improve its defense capabilities following a series of provocations by Pyongyang.

The prime minister also emphasized his determination to improve the Japan-China relationship further by developing the bilateral ties "to a new phase."

"We'll advance step by step to resolve the issue of ownership of the four (disputed) islands and conclude a peace treaty" with Russia, the prime minister said, calling for ending the territorial dispute over the Russian-held northwestern Pacific islands claimed by Tokyo.

"We hope to submit legislation next year to revamp the labor system for the first time in 70 years," Abe said. He unveiled a plan to submit and enact the legislation to promote work style reforms, including a cap on overtime hours, during the upcoming Diet session.

On the Oct. 22 House of Representatives election, in which his LDP scored a landslide victory, Abe said he called the general election "to address such national crises as threats from North Korea and the declining birthrate coupled with the aging population."

"Feeling the weight of our responsibility, we'll implement pledged policies one by one and achieve results," he said. Jiji Press