Senior officials of four political parties who are in charge of issues regarding the top law recently exchanged opinions at a discussion meeting organized by The Yomiuri Shimbun. They agreed that it is necessary to revise the national referendum law, which stipulates the procedures for revising the Constitution.
Thursday marked the 71st anniversary of the enforcement of the Constitution.
How to make voting more convenient is expected to be a major part of discussions over the referendum law.
The meeting was held on April 23 and attended by Hiroyuki Hosoda, chairperson of the headquarters for the promotion of revision of the Constitution at the Liberal Democratic Party, and Ikuo Yamahana, chairperson of the research commission on the Constitution at the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.
Also present were Shu Watanabe, chairperson of the research commission of diplomacy and national security at Kibo no To (Party of Hope), and Kazuo Kitagawa, deputy chief of Komeito and chairperson of the party's research commission on the Constitution.
They discussed details of constitutional amendments as well as how to proceed with discussions.
Regarding the national referendum law, Hosoda said clearly, "There are some incomplete parts, so naturally we should deliberate them."
Kitagawa proposed improving the convenience of voting in the same manner as the public offices election law. Yamahana expressed his understanding of Kitagawa's proposal and called for consideration of strengthening restrictions on TV commercials aired before election day.
Watanabe brought up the establishment of an effective voting rate as a key point.
Regarding revision of the Constitution, Hosoda stressed the significance of the LDP's draft on constitutional revision that stipulates the legal basis for the Self-Defense Forces, saying, "As long as there are arguments to deny the SDF, we have to change it."
Kitagawa said, "I understand the aim for sweeping away the theory of the SDF's unconstitutionality." Watanabe also expressed his intention to approve the idea with some conditions.
However, Yamahana expressed his opposition to the proposal, saying, "I'm not persuaded as to the necessity [of revision]."
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