Sunday, May 5, 2013

Japan PM's 'stealth' constitution plan raises civil rights fears

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is now seeking to revise Japanese Constitution which was written by the United States after World War Two.  His aim is to formalize Japan's right to have a military by making a change to its pacifist Article 9, which bans any military.  However, some activists and scholars are concerned with this move claiming that this change would undermine basic civil rights.  Abe stresses the importance of trying to make a change to the Constitution saying people should not be afraid to do that.  Abe is first trying to change Article 96 which stipulates that changes to the constitution must be approved by at least two-thirds of both houses of parliament and then a majority of voters in a national referendum.  Abe wants to ease this to a simple majority of lawmakers before a public vote.

Honami Nabeshima

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/02/us-japan-politics-constitution-idUSBRE94101D20130502

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