Jamin leads the passage of the LGBT Act… Concerns about the departure of conservative supporters from the party
Kishida, feeling a sense of crisis due to concerns about his support base leaving… A series of conservative remarks
The Yomiuri Shimbun reported on the 27th that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (President of the Liberal Democratic Party) is trying hard to maintain support from conservatives by appealing to his stance of leading discussions on constitutional revision and stable succession to the throne.
Prime Minister Kishida expressed his enthusiasm for constitutional amendments in a representative question at the plenary session of the House of Councilors (Senate) on the 26th, saying, “As the president of the Liberal Democratic Party, if I may say so, my intention to achieve constitutional amendments during my term (as president until next September) has not changed at all.” .
Will, a Japanese right-wing monthly magazine published on the same day, stated in a conversation with a conservative commentator that “it is not something that can be done or cannot be done, but that it must be done” regarding constitutional amendments.
Yomiuri pointed out that behind Prime Minister Kishida’s strong remarks, “there is an underlying sense of crisis to prevent leaks as it has been pointed out that conservatives are falling away from the Liberal Democratic Party, which led the passage of the LGBT Understanding Promotion Act.”
Although the LGBT law was passed in the regular session of the National Assembly, many concerns remain, including confusion in the educational field and whether it will protect women’s safety. In September, writer Naoki Momota founded the Japanese Conservative Party, a political group of which he is the head, mainly due to opposition to the LGBT law. An executive from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party told Yomiuri, “It is highly likely that conservative votes were lost due to the LGBT law. “We need to make up for it by discussing constitutional amendments, etc.,” he said.
From the 24th to the 26th, in the questions asked by both Houses of Representatives, each opposition party that is forward-looking toward constitutional amendments asked questions about the Prime Minister’s sincerity.
Nobuyuki Baba, leader of the Japan Restoration Association, the second largest opposition party with a far-right tendency, pressed, “Are you prepared to fight back and refuse to step down and say that you will not run for re-election if a constitutional amendment is not achieved during your term as president?” and Tamaki of the centrist People’s Democratic Party, the fifth largest party, asked. Representative Yuichiro said, “It will be too late if we do not propose it at the National Assembly for Trade (regular session) next year,” and urged the discussion to be completed at this extraordinary session of the National Assembly.
According to Yomiuri, by combining the four parties that are forward-thinking about constitutional amendments, including Liberal Democratic Party, Gongmyeong, Yushin, and People, and one faction (parliamentary group), it is possible to secure more than two-thirds of the seats needed to propose a constitutional amendment in both houses of parliament. .
When conducting a referendum on whether to amend the Constitution, a guidance period of 60 to 180 days is required after the National Assembly proposes it. Considering that Prime Minister Kishida’s term as party president ends in September next year, it is necessary to prepare a condolence bill at the extraordinary session of the National Assembly and propose it by the end of next year’s regular session.
An executive of the Japan Restoration Association pointed out, “If the extraordinary session of the National Assembly does not begin to draft a detailed condolence bill, the prime minister will be told that he is only paying lip service, which will lead to dissent among the conservatives.”
Previously, former Prime Minister Abe showed a strong desire to revise the Peace Constitution, which stipulates ‘abandonment of war’ during his time in power. Prime Minister Kishida has already argued for the need for constitutional amendment several times. Recently, he expressed his intention to continue revising the Constitution for Peace at the first anniversary memorial service for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe this summer.
Prime Minister Kishida pledged at a memorial gathering after visiting a memorial service on July 8, saying, “I will follow in the footsteps of former Prime Minister Abe and do my best to resolve national issues such as constitutional revision, stable succession to the throne, and the kidnapping issue.” In particular, regarding the issue of revising the Peace Constitution, he said, “I will continue the legacy of former Prime Minister Abe,” and emphasized, “With the Russian invasion of Ukraine, (revision of the Peace Constitution) is becoming increasingly important.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.