Japan’s Abe vows to reform constitution despite no ‘supermajority’ (Guardian)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday pledged to keep alive his plans to amend the country’s pacifist constitution, despite failing to secure a “supermajority” in upper house elections.

His ruling coalition retained its majority in the upper house in Sunday’s vote for around the half the seats in the chamber but fell short of securing a two-thirds majority in favour of revising the constitution.

“The hurdle of two thirds in both the lower and upper houses is extremely high,” Abe told a news conference at his party headquarters.

“I want to produce a reform proposal that can be agreed upon by two thirds beyond the borders of the ruling and opposition camps,” he said. Read more