Two candidates vying to become the co-head of Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike's Kibo no To (Party of Hope) reiterated Thursday their contrasting views on security and the pacifist Constitution — key points of debate that could kill or preserve the conservative governor's founding ideals.
In a debate held in Tokyo, former Democratic Party lawmakers Yuichiro Tamaki and Hiroshi Ogushi emphasized their stances on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's contentious security laws — enacted in summer 2015 amid outcries by the opposition — that have significantly expanded the legal scope of overseas operations by the Self-Defense Forces.
Koike, a former Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker who supports the laws, sparked controversy last month by imposing an ideological test on DP lawmakers fleeing to her party ahead of the Oct. 22 general election, threatening to deny their membership if they remained opposed to the legislation.