Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, apparently looking to boost the Liberal Democratic Party's conservative support base ahead of a House of Representative election that has to take place by autumn and the LDP presidential election, has made a move to dispel his image of being reluctant to revise the Constitution.
On Constitution Day on Monday, Suga, in his capacity as LDP president, sent a video message to an assembly of supporters of revising the Constitution.
"More than 70 years have passed since the establishment," Suga said. "Shouldn't the current Constitution be revised in areas that are out of step with the times or in parts that are inadequate?"
Referring to the spread of the novel coronavirus, Suga went on to say that adding a state of emergency clause to give the government stronger authority in such times was "an extremely serious and important issue."
He also touched on the four-point revision to the Constitution that the LDP has proposed, including the addition of legal grounds for the existence of the Self-Defense Forces.
As for a bill on revising the National Referendum Law, Suga said, "We must aim for its passage as the first step in the debate on constitutional revision."
Suga has been giving priority to COVID-19 control and has limited his policy messages to digitization and the idea of a green society. When speaking to reporters or responding to questions in the Diet, Suga has hardly made in-depth remarks on constitutional revision, only expressing his hope that the issue will be discussed in the Commissions on the Constitution in the upper and lower houses.
Suga's attitude has contrasted with preceding Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who put constitutional revision at the forefront.
Given this situation, some conservatives within the LDP voiced concerns about the impact on the upcoming lower house election, with a mid-ranking party member saying, "If the prime minister does not make a strong statement on constitutional revision, supporters will abandon us."
By sending Monday's video message, Suga has shown his consideration for the party's conservative wing and sought to solidify his position before the elections.
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