Experts' 'unconstitutional' verdict on security bills rattles ruling officials

Ruling party officials were apparently alarmed after three constitutional scholars invited to a Diet panel declared the security reform bills pushed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government "unconstitutional."

"It was unexpected that the latter portion of the discussion focused on the security legislation," said Hajime Funada, head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)'s Headquarters for the Promotion of Revision to the Constitution, following the Diet panel session on June 4.

The three scholars -- Waseda University professors Yasuo Hasebe and Eiji Sasada and Keio University professor emeritus Setsu Kobayashi -- were invited to speak before the House of Representatives Commission on the Constitution. During the panel session, all three clearly stated that the security bills currently under Diet deliberations -- including legislation that would allow Japan to exercise the right to collective self-defense -- run counter to the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution.

LDP Diet affairs chief Tsutomu Sato warned Funada upon receiving a report on the session, saying, "You should pay attention to the selection of people (to be invited to the panel), the subjects for discussion and the schedules, out of consideration for their impact on the lower house committee on peace and security legislation."

According to informed sources, the LDP had initially requested Kyoto University professor emeritus Koji Sato to attend the panel as he has connections with the ruling party through judicial system reform. However, due to a scheduling conflict, the party decided to pick Waseda University professor Hasebe to speak instead.

"As Mr. Hasebe is known as an expert in constitutionalism, we believed that he would be a perfect pick for the day's subject. But he was exploited by the opposition camp," complained an LDP member of the lower house panel on the Constitution.

During the panel's session, Komeito deputy leader Kazuo Kitagawa refuted the experts' criticism of the security bills as unconstitutional, but Hasebe professed, "It is difficult to support the argument that the Constitution allows Japan to defend other countries as well."

The surprising twist came as the government and ruling coalition remain impatient over sluggishness in public understanding of the security legislation. Above all, the June 4 panel session had been intended to demonstrate "careful deliberations" on the security legislation with consideration for opposition parties, following a decision to forgo a special committee session by ruling parties alone the day earlier.

A senior LDP official vented his anger at Funada, saying, "He should have given thought to what is most significant in the current Diet session and what the lower house panel on the Constitution has to do with it."