Looking to avoid another round of Diet wrangling over the dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said Tuesday that the government will draft permanent legislation during the current Diet session allowing for the dispatch of the SDF overseas for multinational operations.
Fukuda, who said he discussed the issue earlier in the day with senior Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Taku Yamazaki, told reporters, "The opposition parties, especially the Democratic Party of Japan, have long been calling for discussion on a permanent law, so we would be happy to do so."
But given the split Diet, Fukuda said the bill's fate depends on the opposition, which controls the Upper House.