Japan Press Weekly

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2017 May 31 - June 6 [POLITICS]

Ex-Lower House Speaker: Article 9 must not be revised

Former House of Representatives Speaker Kono Yohei in a lecture meeting held on May 31 in Tokyo said, “The Abe government should not revise Article 9 of the Constitution. As Article 9 is supported by the majority of Japanese citizens, it should be maintained.”

The former Liberal Democratic Party President expressed his opposition to Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s proposal to add a new clause to Article 9 which legitimizes the Self-Defense Forces.

He criticized PM Abe for rushing to propose a revision of the Constitution. “What is to be done first is to fit reality into the Constitution. Discussions on constitutional revision should not be started under the Abe administration,” he said.

Kono also stressed that the Abe government must establish improved relations between Japan and China in order to achieve cooperation in resolving the North Korea issue.