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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, January 16, 2004

Koizumi eyes revising Japan's constitution

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi expressed the hope Wednesday that the governing and opposition parties would cooperate to revise Japan's constitution, suggesting the defense issue would be central in the debate.


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Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi expressed the hope Wednesday that the governing and opposition parties would cooperate to revise Japan's constitution, suggesting the defense issue would be central in the debate.

"I would like to realize the revision of the constitution with cooperation of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ)," Koizumi told reporters.

He said one of the focuses of discussion will be whether to lift the constitutional ban on exercising the right of collective self-defense.

The government interprets the war-renouncing constitution as forbidding Japan from exercising that right.

Koizumi indicated it will take at least five years for a bill on revising the constitution to be submitted to the parliament.

Koizumi's LDP is the dominant party in Japan's governing coalition, and the DPJ is the major opposition party.

DPJ President Naoto Kan suggested Tuesday that the constitutionbe revised and that a reserve force for the United Nations be established in Japan.


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