Japan's ruling party considers constitutional amendments for state defense forces and emergency powers

Japan's ruling party agreed Monday it will seek to specifically mention the name of the Self-Defense Forces in a revised Constitution, laying out a list of envisaged key changes ahead of an election to select its new leader who will likely carry them through. To tackle the divisive issue of amending the supreme law for the first time and end the debate over the constitutionality of the SDF, the Liberal Democratic Party proposed to keep the wording of the war-renouncing Article 9 but add a new section to explain the SDF. The decision made Monday by the LDP's panel on constitutional reform will have a bearing on whoever wins the next presidential election on Sept. 27, and incumbent Fumio Kishida urged his successor to respect the list. In the forthcoming race, candidates are expected to make it clear where they stand on revising the U.S.-drafted Constitution that came into force in 1947.
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