A constitutional amendment drafted by a senior Self-Defense Forces officer is a private proposal and does not violate laws on the political activities of SDF members, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said Monday.
Hosoda said he did not see a big problem with the act itself, although he added that the government would closely examine the draft to see if it involves any serious problem.
Article 61 of the Self-Defense Forces Law bans SDF members from fundraising or campaigning for politicians, among other acts, while Article 99 of the Constitution obliges public servants to respect and uphold the Constitution.
A lieutenant colonel stationed at the Ground Staff Office reportedly submitted an amendment that advocates a greater role for the SDF to Gen Nakatani, a former Defense Agency chief who heads a Liberal Democratic Party committee that is drafting a constitutional amendment.
Much of the contents of the officer's draft were incorporated into the outline for the LDP's draft, which was compiled by the committee last month.
Hosoda quoted Nakatani as saying that he privately asked the officer for his opinions, and that the draft was written based on that request.
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi likewise played down the significance of the officer's draft.
"I don't think it is a bad thing to ask opinions of an expert," he told reporters.