Abe ‘avoids’ timeline for amending charter

Tokyo simulates military attack

TOKYO, Jan 22, (Agencies): Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe opened a new session of parliament on Monday with familiar promises for economic reform and stronger defence, but steered clear of setting a timeline for his goal of revising the post-war, pacifist constitution.

The push by the conservative Japanese leader to fulfil his long-held ambition coincides with rising concerns about North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes and China’s military assertiveness.

Abe’s wariness over setting a timeline reflects the delicate task he faces amending the constitution’s Article 9, which if taken literally, bans a standing military.

Successive governments have interpreted Article 9 to allow a military exclusively for self-defence.

But Abe, aiming to build a lasting legacy as he enters a sixth year as prime minister, wants to add a clause making clear that the armed forces are constitutional.

“I hope each party will submit concrete proposals to parliament ... deepen debate and move forward,” Abe said in his speech to parliament. “For the sake of our grandchildren, isn’t now the time to make progress toward building a new country?”

Amendments require approval by two-thirds of both houses of parliament and a majority of voters in a referendum.

Abe’s ruling bloc has a two-thirds “super majority” in both chambers — at least until an upper house election next year — but the outlook for a referendum remains murky.

Abe

Hundreds of Tokyo residents scrambled for cover Monday in the Japanese capital’s first evacuation drill for a military attack since World War II, amid ongoing tensions over North Korea’s nuclear programme.

A loudspeaker blared out a terrifying warning at the drill, held in a Tokyo amusement park: “We have information that a missile launch has occurred. Please evacuate calmly inside a building or underground.”

A park employee ran around, shouting “a missile was launched, a missile was launched” as some 250 local residents and office workers duly evacuated to reinforced concrete buildings and a nearby subway station.

A few minutes later, a second message was announced via loudspeaker: “The missile passed. The missile likely flew over the Kanto (greater Tokyo) region towards the Pacific Ocean.”