LDP draft raises concerns about expansion of SDF duties

March 26, 2018

Tokyo- The Japanese Liberal Democratic Party's draft of constitutional revisions has raised concerns about possible further expansion of the Self-Defense Forces' duties.

At an LDP convention Sunday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stressed his determination to revise the constitution's war-renouncing Article 9, saying, "Let's put a period to the controversy over the SDF's constitutionality."

Prior to the convention, the ruling party's Headquarters for the Promotion of Revision of the Constitution worked out draft texts of constitutional revisions, including amended Article 9.

Key members of the team favor the idea of adding a new clause to Article 9 without changing its existing two paragraphs. The headquarters has presented three options for the new clause.

Of them, the text widely viewed as promising says that the second paragraph banning Japan from possessing any war potential "does not preclude necessary self-defense measures from being taken." The text justifies the possession of the SDF "as an organization that uses force."

But the text is unclear as to the range of self-defense Japan can engage in.

Opposition lawmakers say the addition of the proposed text could open the way for Japan to fully exercise its rights to collective self-defense. At present, only limited exercise is permitted under the national security legislation that entered into force in 2016.

They also express concerns that the SDF's authority and duties would expand further.

The proposed text "does not limit at all" the range of collective self-defense Japan can engage in, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yukio Edano told reporters on Friday.

Even some ruling lawmakers are cautious.

Former LDP Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba on Thursday said the text invites difficult questions of whether collective self-defense and collective security should be included in the range of the necessary self-defense measures written in the text.

Furthermore, it is uncertain whether the controversy over the SDF's constitutionality would end as Abe hopes.

This is because the LDP aims to keep intact the second paragraph of Article 9 banning the possession of war potential. Based on the paragraph, some constitutional scholars judge the SDF unconstitutional. Jiji Press