Abe promises to revise Constitution in 3 years

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged Sunday to revise the Constitution in three years, making constitutional revision one of the key issues in the July 29 House of Councillors election.

"It will be necessary to declare to the public that we will aim to revise the Constitution three years from now," Abe said, appearing on broadcaster NHK's "Sunday Debate" program and other TV programs.

His remarks came after it became possible for parliament to initiate constitutional amendment as the law for its national referendum procedures will come into force in three years.

He went further than his recent remarks on the issue, in which he had said he wanted to revise the Constitution during his premiership, lasting up to six years since he assumed the post last September.

But he acknowledged, "The hurdle to constitutional revision is extremely high," alluding to strong public support for the war-renouncing Article 9.

Meanwhile, main opposition Democratic Party of Japan leader Ichiro Ozawa said on TV programs he expects the opposition bloc to capture a majority in the upper house election.

New Komeito leader Akihiro Ota expressed opposition to making constitutional revision the central issue of the election, saying, "Our party and the premier have come to an understanding that we will start discussing the contents of the Constitution after we submit our own constitutional idea in three years."

The DPJ's Ozawa emphasized his stance to focus on improving people's daily lives, saying, "We will present the frameworks of safety nets over social security, food and employment."

Abe refrained from commenting on any numerical target for seats in the upcoming election, while Ozawa said the DPJ wants to secure 55 seats or more.

On high-profile pension-related problems, Abe said he plans to explain to Japanese voters how his government will tackle the pension scandal and shoulder responsibility for it.

Abe said he has "humbly" accepted his dwindling public support ratings and characterized the upcoming upper house election as "a good opportunity" to help restore confidence in his government.

In addition to constitutional revision and pension system reform under which the Social Insurance Agency will be dismantled, he cited economic expansion measures, the need to revitalize struggling local economies, and assertive diplomacy as among key issues in the election.

Abe dismissed concern about a diplomatic initiative by the United States to be unilaterally in touch with North Korea over Pyongyang's nuclear programs.

"Not at all," Abe responded when asked if Japan might be kept in the dark about the United States and North Korea seemingly moving closer together in connection with a recent trip to Pyongyang by top U.S. nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill.

Abe stressed that Japan and the United States enjoy an "unshakable alliance."