TOKYO, July 10. /TASS/. Japanese parties openly standing for constitutional amendments have won an absolute majority of seats (two thirds) in the upper house of parliament, according to the data from prefectures’ elections commission after Sunday’s voting.

Thus, according to these results, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito party, along with the Japan Innovation Party. Which sides with them on this matter, will have 166 out of 246 parliamentary seats.

Under Japan’s laws, the constitution can be amended in a nationwide referendum, which is to be initiated by two thirds of lawmakers of both parliamentary houses. The Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito and the Japan Innovation Party already have two thirds of seats in the lower parliamentary house.

Commenting on the voting results, Sanae Takaichi of the Liberal Democratic party has reiterated that the party will continue to promote the idea of amending the country’s constitution, which was advocated by the slain former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who called for revising the constitution’s ninth article proclaiming the refusal from establishing Japan’s own army and participation in wars. Abe and his successors, Yoshihide Suga and current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, have repeatedly insisted that the constitution, which was adopted more than 70 years ago, does not meet the current geopolitical interests and Japan needs to have its own armed forces, bearing in mind the unstable situation in the region.