Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, during a meeting of the headquarters of the Liberal Democratic Party on the implementation of amendments to the constitution, gave instructions to speed up the discussion of the issue of including a provision on the existence of self-defense forces in the text of the law.
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“The task of the state to protect the lives of its citizens is the most important responsibility, and this should be clearly stated in the highest law of the land,” he said.
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Kishida also noted the importance of people’s consent to both the inclusion of a self-defense force provision and a state of emergency clause in the constitution.
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The post-war constitution, adopted on May 3, 1947, enshrining Japan’s renunciation of war, implied the possibility of using force only for defense in the event of an external attack, which is why the Japanese armed forces are called self-defense forces.
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The Liberal Democratic Party of Japan is in favor of amending the constitution, in particular, to include in it the existence of self-defense forces in the ninth – peaceful article. According to opponents of the amendments, this contradicts the so-called peace clause of the constitution, according to which Japan renounces the possession of its own army and war as a means of resolving international conflicts. Supporters of this change insist that it is only about giving legal status and recognizing the existence of self-defense forces. In addition, the possibility of expanding the powers of the government in a state of emergency, extending the term of office of deputies in the event of a state of emergency, introducing free education in high schools and other projects to introduce other changes are being discussed.
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According to the law, in order to amend the country’s constitution, it is necessary to obtain the support of two-thirds of the votes of parliament members, and then submit the amendments to a popular vote.
