Japan’s Abe aims for constitution change for military in bid for extended term
Change is sought by conservatives who see the US-drafted charter as a humiliating reminder of defeat in the second world war and opposed by critics who worry about expanding the military’s role overseas
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, eyeing a historic extended term, reaffirmed on Monday his resolve to revise the nation’s post-war, pacifist constitution and said he hoped his party could submit a proposal to parliament later this year.
Abe, who returned to office in December 2012 pledging to bolster defences and reboot the economy, is widely expected to defeat his rival, former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba, in a September 20 election for leader of his Liberal Democratic Party.
Victory would give him another three-year term as LDP head and set him on track to become Japan’s longest serving premier, given the LDP-led ruling coalition’s grip on parliament.
Article 9 of the constitution, if taken literally, bans maintenance of armed forces but it has been interpreted to allow a military for self-defence.
Abe wants to add a reference to the Self-Defence Forces, as Japan’s military is known, to clarify their status.
That would be a largely symbolic change but one long sought by conservatives who see the US-drafted constitution as a humiliating reminder of defeat in the second world war and opposed by critics who worry about expanding the SDF’s role overseas.