JAPANESE Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling bloc pushed contentious security Bills through a legislative committee yesterday, catching the opposition by surprise and causing chaos in parliament.

Opposition members surged toward the chairman’s seat as they realised something was amiss after ruling party legislators had surrounded him at the podium.

As the scrum intensified, government supporters still in their seats stood up to signal backing for the legislation, though there did not appear to be an audible announcement of what they were voting on.

The Bills would ease restrictions on what the Japanese military can do, undermining Tokyo’s pacifist post-war constitution.

Democratic Party of Japan senior member Tetsuro Fukuyama said that his party would not accept the vote because the ruling bloc had cheated.

“You saw the scene. We do not recognise that there was a vote. How can you tell what happened, what the chairman was calling?” he complained.