The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the government will consider requiring advance Diet approval for the dispatch of Self-Defense Forces overseas as a condition for seeking a permanent law on their missions, NHK reported Thursday.
In line with the Cabinet's decision to reinterpret the Constitution last summer, the LDP is now negotiating with its junior coalition partner Komeito on a number of security bills concerning expanded SDF activities overseas.
The LDP has proposed creating a permanent law to allow the SDF to provide logistic support to military forces of Japan's allies, but Komeito remains wary of the proposal, worried that this would make it impossible to limit SDF activities. Currently the Diet must enact a temporary law every time an SDF unit is dispatched overseas.
As a compromise, the LDP is considering requiring advance approval from the Diet, even with permanent legislation, when the government wants to send SDF elements on overseas missions, except in emergencies. In emergency situations, the SDF could still be deployed without Diet approval, and such approval could come after the dispatch, NHK reported, quoting government sources.
The LDP will present this idea in future meetings on security bills with Komeito, as early as Friday, NHK said.