September19, 2015

Today, in the plenary session of the House of Councillors, the Abe administration had the security-related legislation approved and enacted. This legislation infringes against the Constitution, and the fact that it has been forced through the Diet without obtaining either the support or understanding of the Japanese people has greatly damaged our nation’s constitutionalism, pacifism and democracy. We express our utmost outrage and outright opposition to this action.

The fact that a single Cabinet has deliberately and opportunistically changed the interpretation of the Constitution without sufficient national debate is a massive infringement of constitutionalism. The exercise of the right to collective self-defense based on the ambiguous three new conditions shakes the pacifist foundations of Article 9 of the Constitution, which stipulates an exclusively defense-oriented security policy and prohibits the dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces overseas. The Abe administration has failed to comprehend the separation of the administrative, legislative and judiciary branches of government that lies at the root of democracy. Furthermore, for the government to forcibly enact legislation which 60% of the public, that is more than 70 million Japanese, oppose and which 80%, or 100 million people, say has been insufficiently explained, is a challenge to democracy itself. It is a betrayal of the efforts of many of our forebears, who have striven to create a peaceful and prosperous Japan in the 70 years since WWII, and creates a massive problem for future generations of Japanese.

Many people, including mothers with their children, young couples and students who have up until now shown little interest in politics feel a strong sense of crisis regarding the heavy-handed actions of the Abe Cabinet, and have of their own volition raised their voices in opposition. The Democratic Party of Japan shares their sense of crisis. We will join together with all those who have risen to express their opposition and embark on a new fight to preserve constitutionalism, pacifism and democracy.