Japan's Abe pushes for fast change to Constitution in election pamphlet

Tokyo

PRIME Minister Shinzo Abe is pledging to move quickly toward changing Japan's Constitution, according to an internal campaign pamphlet seen by Bloomberg News, ensuring the divisive proposal is a key part of his bid for a historic third straight term as ruling party leader.

He intends to have the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) submit the amendment in the next Parliament session and push for a speedy vote, says the pamphlet, which was distributed to party lawmakers ahead of the Sept 20 leadership election. The Sankei newspaper reported on the document late on Tuesday.

The 63-year-old premier is expected to cruise to victory in the party ballot, fighting off a long-shot challenge from former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba. A win would bolster his chances of becoming Japan's longest-serving prime minister, and may enable him to stay in power until late 2021.

Mr Abe's proposed amendment will include a clear reference to Japan's Self-Defence Forces (SDF), says the document. He has spoken of the need to clarify the constitutional status of the SDF without revising the rest of the Constitution's Article 9, which renounces the right to wage war.

A Parliamentary session is usually convened in the autumn, but no date has been set so far.

Any change to the Constitution must pass both Houses of the Diet with a two-thirds majority, and also be approved by voters in a national referendum.

An April poll by national broadcaster NHK found 29 per cent of voters saw a need to change the Constitution; the 27 per cent did not and most of the remainder were unsure. About 70 per cent of respondents said they approved of the pacifist Article 9.

Revising Japan's post-World War II Constitution has been one of Mr Abe's central policy goals, as China and North Korea build their military reach and capabilities.

He is seeking to formally amend the document after reinterpreting provisions in 2015 to allow Japan to again send troops to fight in overseas conflicts.

Mr Abe needs a two-thirds majority in both houses to approve an amendment. His rival Mr Ishiba supports constitutional change, but has criticised Mr Abe's plans as too hasty.

The Japanese leader also emphasised his economic goals in the policy document. He will seek the complete defeat of deflation and to expand the economy to a record 600 trillion yen (S$7.3 trillion), according to the pamphlet. BLOOMBERG