dpj2

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

New DPJ leader avows deleting Article 9's key paragraph

At a news conference on September 17 after his election as the new Democratic Party of Japan president, Maehara Seiji (House of Representatives member), reiterated his view that Article 9's second paragraph banning Japan from maintaining war potential should be replaced by a paragraph establishing the right of self-defense for Japan.

Maehara said, "The DPJ is of the opinion that constitutional revision is necessary, including Article 9. I have maintained that paragraph two of Article 9 be replaced by a provision establishing the right of self-defense," thus expressing intention to spur discussions in the DPJ constitution research council.

This is a declaration that amending Article 9 will be made part of the DPJ consensus calling for "creating a Constitution."

Amending Article 9 is aimed at opening the way for the Self-Defense Forces to take military action abroad. Under the party slogan, "Creating a Constitution," the DPJ constitution research council has discussed allowing Japan to exercise the right of collective defense, mainly at its working group on security, but it has stopped short of arriving at a final conclusion.

This is why the DPJ had to delay publishing its "proposal for a Constitution" until the next year instead of March 2005 in order to keep pace with the Liberal Democratic Party's drafting of a new Constitution. To break this stalemate in the internal discussion, Maehara stressed the need "to speed up the council discussions so that the DPJ will not lose the initiative."

Maehara also expressed his willingness to reach an agreement over constitutional revision with the LDP and the Komei Party. He said, "Initiating constitutional amendments need to be supported by a two-thirds majority in both chambers of the Diet. This means that the DPJ should discuss in detail with parties that call for constitutional revisions."

Referring to the Koizumi "structural reform" policy, Maehara stated that Prime Minister Koizumi's merit can be found in creating the environment in which reform is regarded as a good to compete for."

If this is the case, Maehara's "fight" against the LDP will mean nothing but competing for an undemocratic administration within the framework of the "two party" system. -- Akahata, September 18, 2005