After only little more than a month of discussion, the ruling coalition reached a formal agreement Friday on basic frameworks for security legislation that will allow the Self-Defense Forces to play a much greater role overseas and pave the way for the Abe administration to alter Japan's pacifist defense posture.
By clearing yet another hurdle, the administration is a step closer to legally loosening the constitutional constraints on the Self-Defense Forces, an effort that began with last July's landmark Cabinet decision to reinterpret war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution.
Based on the agreement, the administration will prepare bills to present to the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito in mid-April. It hopes to get the parties' nod and submit a package of more than 10 bills to the Diet by mid-May.