LDP, JIP Apart over Revision of Article 9 of Japan's Constitution

Tokyo, April 18 (Jiji Press)--Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, remain apart over a revision of pacifist Article 9 of the Constitution.

On Friday, the two parties kicked off discussions on Article 9, which is the foundation of Japan's pacifism, at a meeting of a joint panel of working-level members tasked with drafting new clauses for a proposed amendment of the Constitution.

It was the first meeting of the panel since the Feb. 8 general election for the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of the Diet, the country's parliament. In the poll, the two parties together won three-fourths of the 465 Lower House seats.

The LDP-JIP coalition agreement calls for pushing ahead with constitutional amendment. It remains unclear, however, whether the two parties can reach a consensus as they are sharply divided over a revision of Article 9.

At the start of Friday's meeting, the LDP's Yoshitaka Shindo said, "We first want to promote talks between our working-level members."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]