Prime Minister Shinzo Abe unveiled Sunday his plan to create a ministerial post in charge of national security legislation under his government’s new defense policy to broaden the scope of Self-Defense Forces’ activities.
Before departing on his three-nation Oceania tour, Abe told reporters at Haneda airport his Cabinet will introduce a package of legal measures to redefine SDF roles, allowing the military to engage in collective self-defense missions, cope with “gray zone” situations short of full-blown military clashes, and do more in U.N.-led peacekeeping operations.
“Because it will be a major change in Japan’s legal framework for national security, I want to name a minister in charge,” Abe said.
The minister, to be named in a planned cabinet reshuffle in early September, will be tasked with answering questions during parliamentary deliberations on those bills, Abe said.
Asked about the Cabinet decision Tuesday to change the government’s interpretation of Article 9 of the Constitution, and allow Japan to exercise the right to collective self-defense, Abe said he intends give parliament a full explanation of how the reinterpretation will help protect the lives of Japanese nationals.
The prime minister did not specify when bills will be introduced. But analysts said the government is likely to submit the package, expected to contain more than 10 bills, to an ordinary Diet session next year.
The security legislation minister will be a concurrent post because the Abe Cabinet already has 18 ministers, the maximum allowed under current laws, they added.
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