By Clint Richards
While Japan’s coalition partners argue over the agenda, Abe announces a new Cabinet position to push the issue in the Diet.
Japan’s ruling coalition partners are continuing negotiations this week over the right to collective self-defense. The ruling LDP is trying to convince its junior partner, New Komeito, to agree to an expansive reinterpretation of Article 9 of the Constitution. So far the LDP’s attempts have met with little success.
According to the Japan Times, The LDP’s delegate and chairperson of the talks, Masahiko Komura, said that the standards in the Constitution that allow for Japan to defend itself also allow for collective self-defense. New Komeito representative Kazuo Kitagawa disagreed, stating “Komura emphasizes legal-theory aspects (in interpreting) Article 9 but we are not in tune yet . . . There needs to be legal consistency with the interpretation of the Constitution by past governments.”
The two sides appear to be in agreement over addressing the issue of grey zone incidents first, as even New Komeito has conceded that this is an issue that Japan’s Self-Defense Forces need to be able to act decisively on, especially in light of heightened tension over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands.
Read the full story at The Diplomat