Abe seeks Article 9 revision, Koike wants stepped-up autonomy

October 8, 2017

TOKYO- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe repeated his position of seeking to revise Article 9 of the country's constitution, in a debate among political party heads broadcast online on Saturday, in the run-up to the crucial general election on Oct. 22.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, head of the Party of Hope, stressed the importance for enhancing autonomy in the country. The debate was joined by chiefs of eight parties.

Abe, leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, underscored the need to add a third sentence to the constitution's pacifist Article 9 to stipulate a rationale for the existence of the Self-Defense Forces. "By clarifying the existence of the SDF in the constitution, I want to end unproductive discussions" on whether the SDF is constitutional or unconstitutional, he said.

Koike said that revisions of the constitution should be made "according to the needs of the times," adding that the enhancement of local autonomy should be pursued. She established the Party of Hope late last month.

Japanese Communist Party chief Kazuo Shii said that if a coalition government including the JCP is established after the election, it would be difficult to immediately declare the SDF unconstitutional. "The interpretation that the SDF is constitutional will continue to be in place for the time being," he added.

Yukio Edano, head of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said there are not many things that cannot be done unless the constitution is revised.

Noting that the prime minister has a free hand in dissolving the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament, for a snap general election, Edano said that discussions should be promoted on this issue. The party was established earlier this month.

Whether the nation's supreme law should be revised is likely to be one of major issues in the election for the upcoming Lower House election.

Natsuo Yamaguchi, leader of Komeito, which is the coalition partner of the LDP in national politics while cooperating with Koike in the Tokyo metropolitan administration, said that a common challenge for the national and Tokyo governments is successfully holding the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. "We're determined to fulfill our responsibility," he said.

Koike's party, which supports Japan's national security laws that took effect last year, has endorsed many members of the Democratic Party, which opposes the legislation, as its candidates for the closely watched general election, after the DP decided not to field any official candidate on its own.

Commenting on this, Koike said that these DP members opted to discuss the international situation from a realistic perspective. She said she believes that realistic discussions on politics and policies will help ensure the security of Japan.

Ichiro Matsui, head of Nippon Ishin no Kai and governor of Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, said that a realistic approach is important for foreign and security policies. But he also said that going too far is not good, pointing to heavy U.S. influence in the Japanese security laws.

The other two participants in the debate were Social Democratic Party head Tadatomo Yoshida and Masashi Nakano, chief of the Party for Japanese Kokoro. Jiji Press