By Clint Richards
A new government draft has garnered coalition support, and could be approved as early as next week.
The ruling Japanese coalition has this week has managed to move the issue of collective self-defense forward, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks a unified Cabinet decision by July 1. The LDP has been trying to get its junior partner New Komeito to agree to a stronger interpretation of the issue, which would for instance allow Japanese forces to take part in military action as part of an allied coalition. Despite New Komeito’s much smaller presence in the Diet, and thus weight in the coalition, it has blocked some of the LDP’s more militaristic proposals, possibly due to the rising unpopularity of collective self-defense with the public.
On Monday the LDP said that in order to advance negotiations, it would drop any mention of participating in collective security operations requiring military force, due to New Komeito’s consistent opposition to its inclusion, according to the Jiji Press. On Tuesday, the LDP conceded even more ground, presenting a new proposal to change its reinterpretation of Article 9 of Japan’s pacifist Constitution. During a press conference, Abe stated “We will press ahead thoroughly and intensively with discussions on a security-related legal framework between the ruling parties… and as responsible ruling parties that protect people’s lives and livelihood, we will make a decision firmly when the time comes.”
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