Government to draft wartime laws in package

As Prime Minister Koizumi's popularity is waning quickly, work on wartime legislation is picking up.

The council on legislation for dealing with "emergencies," composed of the government and ruling parties, held its second meeting on February 5 and decided to submit a package bill to the Diet by late March.

The government on the same day began drafting a bill after a meeting of inter-agency officials.

In the council meeting, the government presented the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic, Komei, and New Conservative parties with a document entitled, "Overall Image" of legislation for dealing with national emergencies.

The government in the meeting expressed intentions to confine the legislation to ways to deal with what the existing laws define as "outside armed attacks."

The government and ruling parties agreed to submit a package bill that includes a "general law" that defines ways to improve and strengthen wartime legislation and 'individual law" concerning Self-Defense Forces' actions.

The "general law" is expected to include basic plans for responding to outside armed attacks, the state's decision-making mechanisms, and involvement of local governments.

The council meeting decided not to include responses to terrorist attacks or '"suspicious ships" in the package bill. (end)