Japan Ruling Bloc Calls for Intensive Talks on Emergency Clause

Tokyo, April 16 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, on Thursday called for holding discussions focused on a proposed emergency clause for constitutional revision. The two parties made the proposal at the day’s meeting of the Commission on the Constitution in the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, the country’s parliament. The move reflects the ruling pair’s aim to accelerate talks on constitutional amendment. Among opposition parties, the Democratic Party for the People supported the proposal. Team Mirai also sounded positive. The major opposition Centrist Reform Alliance expressed a cautious stance toward the ruling camp’s plan to set up a panel to draft new constitutional clauses within the Lower House committee while stopping short of referring to the proposed intensive discussions on an emergency clause. The emergency clause envisioned by the LDP-JIP coalition as a first step toward revising the Constitution would extend the terms of office of lawmakers and allow the cabinet to take legislative actions on behalf of the Diet in times of crises such as major disasters. At the Lower House commission’s second meeting in the current Diet session, the LDP’s Yoshitaka Shindo said that the introduction of an emergency clause is “critically important for running the country,” stressing the importance of engaging in more focused and in-depth discussions on the matter. The JIP’s Kaoru Nishida called for comprehensive debates on an emergency clause and a revision of pacifist Article 9 of the supreme law. Expressing support for detailed debates on an emergency clause, DPFP head Yuichiro Tamaki said that maintaining the functions of the Diet in situations where holding elections is difficult is “the leading candidate for the Diet’s constitutional amendment proposal.” On Article 9, Tamaki indicated that it is difficult to reach a consensus within a year. At the LDP’s annual convention Sunday, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who heads the ruling party, suggested that she wants to pave the way for the Diet to propose constitutional amendment within a year. Aoi Furukawa, policy chief of Team Mirai, said that it is “important to clarify the starting point” of the deliberations on an emergency clause, citing the need to discuss specific situations where such a clause would be applied. He called for identifying issues regarding how to maintain the Diet’s functions in the event of large-scale disasters or infectious disease outbreaks. Toru Kunishige of the CRA voiced caution over the LDP-JIP proposal to set up a constitutional amendment drafting panel, saying that drawing up new clauses for the top law without sufficient deliberations should be avoided. On the definition of the situation where it is difficult to hold elections, he said, “Common understanding has not been obtained as to the extent of damage (from disasters and other emergencies) or the duration (of the situation).” Sanseito’s Masamune Wada called for thorough discussions on the Constitution. Kimie Hatano of the Japanese Communist Party reiterated that Article 9, which renounces war, prohibits Japan from possessing war potential and denies its right of belligerency, should be firmly maintained. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]