Since the formation of a coalition government on Dec. 26, the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito have gotten into the full swing of governing. The parties jointly occupy more than two-thirds of the Lower House seats — enough to overturn Upper House decisions on legislative bills.
In this situation, Komeito, which has characterized itself as a party for peace and social welfare, has the important role of checking the excesses of the LDP, especially its hawkish stance on the Constitution. The LDP, under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, calls for a revision of the war-renouncing Article 9.
In their policy agreement struck after the Dec. 16 Lower House election, the LDP and Komeito agreed to advance discussions by the Commission on the Constitution in both the Upper and Lower Houses and to deepen public discussion toward a constitutional revision. Given Komeito's basic stance, a revision of Article 9 would undermine its most fundamental principle.