The Social Democratic Party may take a major step back from its historic decision in 1994 recognizing the Self-Defense Forces as constitutional and supporting the continuance of the Japan-U.S. security treaty, according to party sources.
The opposition party plans to term the SDF "almost unconstitutional" and adopt the goal of eventual abolition of the security treaty. Before 1994, the party regarded the SDF as unconstitutional and the security treaty as illegitimate.
According to a draft of the policy change compiled by senior SDP Upper House member Hideo Den, the party will call for gradually downsizing the SDF and reorganizing it into a force specializing in disaster relief.