Former Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Secretary General Shigeru Ishiba, who is advocating the deletion of Paragraph 2 of Article 9 of the Constitution in the party’s constitutional debate, has revealed his personal proposal on the envisioned constitutional provision on the Self-Defense Forces (SDF). He proposes deleting the current Paragraph 2, replacing this with a new provision on “maintaining the Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces.” This represents a change from the LDP’s proposal in 2012 to create a “national defense army.”

The LDP Headquarters for the Promotion of Revision to the Constitution ended its solicitation of draft amendment proposals on Article 9 from Diet members on Feb. 19.

Ishiba’s proposal says the party’s 2012 draft proposals should be the “basis of discussion” and cites possible provisions. He proposes deleting Paragraph 2, which bans the maintenance of war potential and renounces the right of belligerency, replacing this with a provision on “maintaining the Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces to secure Japan’s independence and peace, the people’s safety and freedom, and the international community’s peace and stability.”