LDP faction led by Aso seeks referendum on Constitution change by next summer

Aso should tell Abe that the new Constitution should make changes to let Japan re-establish full and special diplomatic ties with very Nippon -friendly democratic Taiwan-ROC.

I'm sure 99.9% of the respondents will totally. agree.

Old dudes need to retire.. To much debts and issues as is from bad leadership..

To Do the hustle

Most in japan do not want Constitution change let alone 40% like you are saying and a war within a year? what? with who?

Also look at the UK referendum and you will see how this will go bad for Abe.

The photo sums up everything about Japanese politics - old, fossilized, jaded, lethargic, creepy and non-progressive. Would it be possible to have a few more under-70's in Japanese politics?

In any civilized place, people like Aso would have been forced to retire (and not work with one foot in the office and one in the grave, and a third one in his mouth), or at least put out of his misery.

J-DakeToday 04:48 pm JST

So all he wants to make something that already has existed for decades clearly constitutional? That's all huh?

Based on the Geneva Convention, civilian civil servants(non-combatants) are not suppose to participate in international conflict and if caught fighting against the enemy force they can be shot on site without court since they are not seen as POW but insurgents.

Under the present constitution since it states there are no military within Japan, the JSDF can be and will be labeled as non-combatants by the enemy force and shot on site.

A referendum in Japan? I can just imagine the voter turnout. For a federal election they get around 55-60% of the population who vote. Obviously, the majority of these voters are right-wing supporters keeping the LDP in power for nearly all of the last 70 years. The other 40% couldn’t be bothered getting off their sofas. A referendum will only attract those will strong political beliefs (the right-wing majority) to vote. I expect a turn out of 30-40% with an overwhelming win to change the constitution. Changes to the constitution will be disastrous for Japan. I have no doubt Japan will be at war within a year of changing article 9. And, possibly even civil war within two years (if the lazy brats can be bothered).

Who's the power? Aso seems to be running the show with his croony crew.

What Scote said!!

Sf2k, while I would like to believe the masses would vote it down...……...I don't know, seems risky to me, the mind of politicians especially & even a lot of people is not that different from Japan of 7+decades past, hate to say it, but I don't know what the people would do, I imagine there would be pressure exerted to push voting abe's way etc

Japan could very well totally wreck what they have built!

People already said that there should be no change of the peace constitution. What is the legal basis for Asso to propose to Abe and for Abe to say yes ? Does LDP want to force people to agree with their party ideology to do things that they don't like ? Yes, people can choose and have freedom to choose, but they are only offered with limited ideas which are not for people to choose. What a joking liberal democratic party !

It doesn't matter what the people say, they will not vote these people out as said people lead them into the things they have CLEARLY said they don't want. Abe's not even tried to hide it anymore, saying he vows to resolve the abduction issue before the election; now he's just flat out saying what he's going to do, polls and votes be damned, because he knows that he'll get his way no matter what. This is what dictators do, and Japan merely hides under the GUISE of election.

referendums are different than voting. Voting it's the same old dinosaurs. Referendums are on a single issue that everyone can vote on. I have high hopes that what they want will be trounced once and for all keeping Article 9 safe and sound from the warmongering rightists

Articles like this on proposed constitutional revisions focus almost exclusively on changes to Article 9. The real aim of the LDP is to add a clause allowing them to suspend the constitution under a "state of emergency". Once they have that power it will be the end of democracy in Japan as you can be certain that once the "state of emergency" is declared, for whatever spurious reason, the current constitution will never be restored.

I believe the "state of emergency" clause is not necessary and will effectively give the government unlimited powers and control over the people. This amendment should be opposed at every opportunity and it's a pity that the Japanese media is almost completely ignoring it, no doubt under the orders of the LDP.

Lol, dear japan, you get what you wished for. Good luck!!

The prime minister is pushing constitutional revisions including adding an explicit reference to the Self-Defense Forces in the war-renouncing Article 9 to ensure there is no room to view them as "unconstitutional."

So all he wants to make something that already has existed for decades clearly constitutional? That's all huh?

He has no need for first strike capabilities for the, um, Self-DEFENSE Forces?

Seems like a lot of work for something that is already a well-worn convention.