Gap Remains in LDP over Constitutional Revision

Tokyo, May 5 (Jiji Press)--The difference of opinions remains among members of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party over a proposed revision of the Constitution.

While LDP lawmakers in the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, the country's parliament, hope to speed up work on drawing up an emergency clause in preparation for serious events such as large-scale natural disasters, those in the House of Councillors, the upper chamber, are considering canceling the integration of prefectural constituencies for the Upper House as their focus in amending the Constitution.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, also LDP president, has recently vowed to pave the way for the Diet to propose a constitutional amendment in a year. The gap between the Lower House and Upper House members of the party is expected to be a challenge.

"I hope to hold next year's party convention in a state where we can say that 'we have laid the groundwork' for proposing a constitutional revision," Takaichi said in this year's LDP convention on April 12, stressing her determination to reform the nation's fundamental law.

Following the leader's remark, the party is accelerating work on constitutional revision.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]