LDP proposal likely to define SDF as minimum force

March 15, 2018

Tokyo- A Liberal Democratic Party team broadly agreed Wednesday to seek a party consensus on a proposal stipulating the possession of minimum necessary force as the rationale for the existence of the Self-Defense Forces in the constitution.

The proposal also calls for maintaining the second clause of Article 9 of the constitution, which prohibits Japan from possessing any war potential.

This policy was broadly approved at an executive meeting of the LDP's Headquarters for the Promotion of Revision of the Constitution.

The LDP has given up the idea of presenting its official draft proposal on constitutional revisions to a party convention on March 25, amid an uproar over the Finance Ministry's alterations of documents linked to a controversial sale of state land to school operator Moritomo Gakuen.

The party is now seen reaching a consensus on the constitutional revisions in April at the earliest, sources familiar with the situation said.

The proposal is one of the seven ideas based on opinions solicited from LDP lawmakers in February.

The seven ideas are set to be discussed at a plenary meeting of the constitutional amendment panel on Thursday. Jiji Press