Japan PM urges party debate on amending pacifist Constitution

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday instructed his ruling party to accelerate discussions on the contentious issue of stipulating the Self-Defense Forces in the war-renouncing Article 9 of Japan's postwar Constitution.At a meeting on constitutional reform, Kishida said the Liberal Democratic Party should organize the points of the issue, aiming for completion by the end of August.Kishida's instruction indicated his willingness to garner support from conservative members within the party who have called for progress in discussions on constitutional amendments ahead of the LDP …READ FULL ARTICLE