Prime Minister Shinzo Abe repeated on Monday that he wants to revise war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution to clarify the ambiguous status of Japan¡¯s military if re-elected president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Sept. 20.
Abe¡¯s proclamation set him apart from his only challenger in the race, ex-Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who said the prime minister¡¯s proposal to legitimize the Self-Defense Forces hasn¡¯t gained enough public support to warrant calling an immediate national referendum on the sensitive issue.
Abe also said that the unpopular consumption tax should be raised to 10 percent from 8 percent in October 2019 as scheduled.
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