JAPANESE PM ABE RE-ELECTED PARTY HEAD, TO STAY ON AS PM

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was re-elected as head of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party in a landslide Thursday, paving the way for up to three more years as the nation's leader.

The decisive victory may embolden Abe to pursue his

long-sought revision to Japan's Us-drafted pacifist constitution, although the hurdles remain high and doing so would carry political risks.

"It's time to tackle a constitutional revision," Abe said in a victory speech. "Now the fight is over." Abe said he's determined to use his last term to pursue his policy goals to "sum up" Japan's postwar diplomacy to ensure peace in the country.

"Let's work together to make a new Japan," he said.

Abe, who has been prime minister since December 2012, has cemented control of his party and received support from conservatives for bringing stability and continuity to economic and diplomatic policies. With a third term as party

leader, Abe is poised to become Japan's longest-serving leader in August 2021.

Still, he faces several challenges, including dealing with Japan's aging and declining population, a royal succession in the spring, and a consumption tax hike to 10 percent he has already delayed twice.

He faces security concerns stemming from North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, and China's increasingly assertive activity in the region, as well as intensifying trade friction with the US which could shake his friendly relations with President Donald Trump.

Abe has said he is determined to push for a revision to the U.s.-drafted 1947 constitution, a decades-old pledge of the Liberal Democratic Party since its foundation in 1955 and a goal that none of Abe's predecessors has been able to achieve.

Abe has said he hopes his party could submit a draft constitution revision to a parliamentary session later this year ahead of a national referendum. Abe is proposing to add a clause to Article 9, which bans the use of force in settling international disputes, to explicitly permit the existence of Japan's military, now called the Self-Defense Force.

Many conservatives see the constitution as a humiliation imposed on Japan following its World War II defeat. Among them was Abe's grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, who served as prime minister 1957-1960. Kishi was imprisoned as a suspected war criminal during the US occupation.

Constitutional revision is divisive and it's unclear whether Abe could get enough votes for passage.

Abe and his senior party members want to rush a revision while their ruling coalition still holds two-thirds super majority in both houses a requirement to propose a revision. The next parliamentary election is due next summer.

For the public, the constitution is a lesser concern than issues such as pay, education and the high cost of child care, surveys show.

If a revision is voted down in a national referendum, Abe would likely have to step down Abe has survived a series of scandals, including cronyism allegations against him and his wife. Despite attacks from opposition parties and criticism in the media, he has seen his support ratings bounce back to about 40 percent, considered high for a Japanese leader after nearly six years in office.

An extended term for Abe is generally seen as good news for stability and continuity.

With a third term as party leader, Abe, who has been PM since December 2012, is poised to become Japan's longest-serving leader in August 2021