Fate of Japan's pacifist charter in spotlight after election

The outcome of the general election on Sunday is likely to set the stage for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party to push ahead toward amending the pacifist Constitution, with the LDP and other pro-amendment forces expected to retain sufficient majorities in both the lower and upper houses.But questions continue to be raised about Abe's desire to revise the war-renouncing Article 9 to validate the existence of the Self-Defense Forces, leaving uncertainties over how his proposal will take shape following the election.Abe's abrupt decision last month to call an election has br…READ FULL ARTICLE