Wartime bills emerge as major political issue in local elections

Taking advantage of the Iraq situation, ruling Liberal Democratic Party leaders are now pushing the wartime legislation allowing the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF) to use force abroad, which is in violation of the Japanese Constitution.

Yamasaki Taku, LDP secretary general, recently said that he wants to see the three contingency bills approved by the Lower House and sent to the Upper House in April. In an interview with a major newspaper he said: "The contingency-related bills need to be approved by the Lower House before a new law is introduced to the Diet to allow the SDF to participate in the post-war reconstruction of Iraq.

Akahata of March 31 said that the wartime legislation emerges as one of the major issues in the simultaneous local elections.

The three contingency bills were discussed in last year's Diet session but were shelved due to the government's inability to give clear definitions to the core issues such as "situations in which Japan is attacked".

In the present local elections, the Japanese Communist Party, the staunchest opponent of the wartime legislation, is calling for a joint national movement to be developed to foil the ruling parties' attempt to quickly enact the war time laws. (end)