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In the early hours of September 19, DPJ President Katsuya Okada spoke to reporters inside the Diet building after the government’s proposed security legislation had been approved and enacted by the House of Councillors. Okada pointed out, “Despite the many opposing voices stating that it infringes against the Constitution, it is extremely regrettable that the legislation has been enacted without paying the slightest consideration to such opinions. A huge blot has been left upon the pacifism of the Constitution, constitutionalism and democracy.
Okada stressed “We didn’t have sufficient numbers in the Diet and the result is an unfortunate one, for which I feel responsibility, but the real battle begins now. Many people have been waiting outside the Diet in the rain to call for the legislation to be scrapped, and many others around Japan have risen up out of a shared sense of crisis. This is an unprecedented state of affairs. We will cooperate with such people, and work together with the other opposition parties to bring about a meaningful result at the next election. Then we will recover what has been lost on this occasion. The fight to achieve this starts today.”
In response to a reporter’s comment that the Abe administration had lost much momentum during the debate over the legislation, Okada said, “It is not a question of the administration’s momentum or the like. An unconstitutional law has been passed, and that has left a huge stain upon Japan’s democracy.” He added, “In order to correct this we must overthrow the Abe administration. We have been able to reconfirm this clear objective.”
Asked how the DPJ would deal with the legislation should they return to power, Okada said, “We must return to the drawing board with regard to the portion concerning the right to collective self-defense.”
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