A House of Representatives committee charged with reviewing the Constitution for possible amendment submitted an interim report Friday listing the outcome of its discussions.
The 706-page report is the culmination of nearly three years of discussions by the Research Commission on the Constitution, which is charged with debating the politically sensitive issue of constitutional amendment. The report was submitted to Lower House Speaker Tamisuke Watanuki.
The committee is expected to submit its final report by 2005. But it is expected to be a long, hard road as many lawmakers in both the ruling and opposition parties are cautious about making any changes to the Constitution.