衆院代表質問 懸案先送りでは展望開けない

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Nov. 2, 2012)
Key pending issues suffering neglect in new Diet session
衆院代表質問　懸案先送りでは展望開けない（11月1日付・読売社説）

Debate has begun in the Diet. However, it seems that we cannot expect constructive developments in which the ruling and opposition parties actively seek common ground through Diet deliberations and move politics forward.
　国会審議を通じて、与野党が積極的に接点を探り、政治を動かす。
　そんな前向きの展開は期待できそうにない論戦のスタートである。

Liberal Democratic Party President Shinzo Abe faced off with Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda for the first time Wednesday during interpellations on Noda's policy speech by party representatives in the plenary session of the House of Representatives.
　野田首相の所信表明演説に対する各党の代表質問が衆院本会議で行われ、自民党の安倍総裁が首相と初めて対決した。

Concerning Noda's promise to dissolve the lower house for a general election "sometime soon," Abe pressed him to dissolve the lower house by the end of this year, saying Noda "must bear the responsibility for his words."
　安倍氏は、首相が約束した「近いうち」の衆院解散・総選挙について、「その言葉に責任を持たねばならない」として、年内の解散を決断するよう迫った。

Noda only said, "I'll make a decision properly if conditions [for the dissolution] are met." As those conditions, he referred to the enactment of a bill that will allow the government to issue deficit-covering bonds and rectification of vote-value disparities in lower house elections.
　首相は、赤字国債の発行を認める特例公債法案の成立や衆院選の「１票の格差」是正など、解散の「条件が整えば、きちんと判断をしたい」と語るにとどめた。

With Democratic Party of Japan members leaving the party one after another, the foundation of Noda's administration is crumbling away beneath him.
　民主党の離党者が続き、野田政権の基盤は一層揺らいでいる。

The DPJ will inevitably suffer a crushing defeat if it goes into the lower house election amid its current low approval ratings. Noda probably wants to delay the lower house dissolution with an eye out for the timing that would best help the party minimize its loss of seats. However, there is no prospect for that.
　支持率が低迷する中で衆院選を迎えた場合、民主党の大敗は免れない。首相にすれば、解散を先延ばしし、議席減少を極力抑えられる時期を模索したいのだろうが、その展望は開けていない。

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Local govts await bond bill

The delay in the enactment of the bill to issue deficit-covering bonds currently seriously affects local governments' finances. Noda should not shy away from an early dissolution of the lower house and needs to take action on his own to obtain cooperation from the opposition parties.
　特例公債法案の成立の遅れは、地方財政に深刻な影響を及ぼしている。首相は、早期解散から逃げることなく、野党の協力取り付けに自ら動く必要がある。

Abe, for his part, should immediately end his party's self-righteous boycott of the current extraordinary Diet session based on a censure resolution against Noda and cooperate in the enactment of the bill to issue deficit-covering bonds since he said he fully realizes the importance of the bill and other key issues.
　安倍氏も、特例公債法案などの「重要性は十分認識している」と言う以上、首相問責決議に基づく独善的な審議拒否を早急に撤回して、法案成立に協力すべきだ。

Regarding the rebuilding of Japan's diplomacy, Abe called for changing the government's interpretation of the Constitution so that Japan will be able to exercise the right to collective self-defense, a stance that aims to rebuild the Japan-U.S. alliance. Noda rejected a change in the government's interpretation of the Constitution for the moment, but said, "There should be various discussions."
　日本外交の再建に関して安倍氏は、「日米同盟を再構築」するため、集団的自衛権の行使を可能にするよう政府の憲法解釈の変更を求めた。首相は、当面の解釈変更を否定しつつ、「様々な議論があってしかるべきだ」と述べた。

Strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance is crucial for protecting the nation's territory and improving relationships with China and South Korea. Because the right to collective self-defense is an issue that concerns the very basis of the nation's security, it is desirable for a cross-party consensus to be formed. We hope the ruling and opposition parties will deepen discussions on the issue to enable the government to exercise the right.
　領土を守り、中国、韓国との関係を改善するうえで、日米同盟の強化は欠かせない。集団的自衛権は安全保障の根幹にかかわる問題だけに、超党派の合意形成が望ましい。与野党は、行使を可能にする方向で議論を深めてほしい。

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Trade deal sadly neglected

As for the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade framework, Abe stressed that he "opposes Japan's participation in its negotiations as long as it [the TPP] presupposes the elimination of tariffs with no exceptions." Noda only said he will decide on Japan's official participation in the TPP negotiations based on developments in discussions both within Japan and with countries concerned.
　環太平洋経済連携協定（ＴＰＰ）について、安倍氏は、「聖域なき関税撤廃を前提にする限り、交渉参加に反対する」と強調した。首相も、国内の議論や関係国との協議の進展を踏まえて、正式参加を判断するとだけ語った。

It is regrettable that both Abe and Noda are so reticent on the issue, although Japan's participation in the TPP negotiations is an urgent task for the revitalization of the economy.
　経済再生のためにも交渉参加が急務なのに、両者とも消極姿勢だったのは残念である。

It is also problematic that the ruling parties are cautious about convening the Budget Committee, which is normally opened after the interpellations by party representatives. It is said this is because they want to duck the opposition parties' questions on Noda's responsibility in appointing former Justice Minister Keishu Tanaka to the post. Such an attitude only worsens the stagnation of the nation's politics.
　問題なのは、代表質問後に通常開かれる予算委員会に与党が慎重なことだ。田中慶秋前法相の任命責任など野党の追及を避けたいためとされる。そんな姿勢では政治が一層停滞してしまう。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nov. 1, 2012)
（2012年11月1日08時23分  読売新聞）