Koizumi asks LDP to draft constitutional amendment by 2005

Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro on August 25 directed the Liberal Democratic Party secretary general to finish drafting the party's constitutional amendment by November 2005, its 50th founding anniversary.

Koizumi also instructed Secretary General Yamasaki Taku to study a bill to carry out a special referendum for the revision of the Constitution, as detail procedures to pave the way for the amendment.

The prime minister has often advocated that Article 9 of the Constitution must be reviewed. This is the first time for him to refer to a limit of time for compiling a new draft.

The LDP Research Commission on the Constitution, which issued a draft LDP security policy, is preparing a draft basic policy to be completed by July 2004.

At the press conference on August 25, Prime Minister Koizumi stated, "Even the opposition Democratic Party is in favor of constitutional amendments. An influential newspaper published its own draft. Now is the time to hold a national debate on this issue," fanning arguments for a constitutional revision.

Under the Constitution of Japan which renounced war and declared non-possession of weapons, successive LDP-governments have stated that Japan is prohibited by the Constitution from exercising the right of collective self-defense.

Since he took office, the prime minister has consistently sought a way to constitutionally enable the Self-Defense Forces to use force in providing rear-area support for U.S. forces in the name of the right of collective self-defense.

Article 96 of the Constitution provides that "Amendments to this Constitution shall be initiated by the Diet, through a concurring vote of two-thirds or more of all the members of each House and shall thereupon be submitted to the people for ratification, which shall require the affirmative vote of a majority of all votes cast thereon, at a special referendum or at such election as the Diet shall specify." (end)