Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who has broken the norm in his Cabinet lineups, on Friday called for revising the Constitution to introduce a popular vote for the nation's top leader.
"Diet members may oppose this fiercely, but I think the general public will largely welcome the idea," Koizumi told his first news conference since taking office. "This is a structural reform in politics . . . a deregulation in the political circles."
Koizumi added that he hopes his initiative will help break Japan's postwar mentality that has long tabooed any attempt to revise the 1946 Constitution.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.