鳩山・小沢退陣 脱「二重権力」で政策転換図れ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Jun. 4, 2010)
DPJ must shed 'dual power' structure
鳩山・小沢退陣　脱「二重権力」で政策転換図れ（6月3日付・読売社説）

In the end, he probably concluded he had no other option. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama announced Wednesday he will step down.
　万事休したということだろう。鳩山首相が退陣を表明した。

When the Hatoyama Cabinet was inaugurated in September, nobody could have predicted the ruling coalition government under Hatoyama--comprised of his Democratic Party of Japan, the Social Democratic Party and People's New Party--would turn out to be so short-lived.
　昨年９月、民主、社民、国民新３党による鳩山連立内閣が発足した時、これほどの短命を予測した人は、まずいまい。

Yet in just 8-1/2 months, Hatoyama bruised the Japan-U.S. alliance--the cornerstone of this nation's foreign and national security policies--over the issue of relocating functions of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture, and left the nation's politics in disarray.
　だが、わずか８か月半の間、鳩山首相は、米軍普天間飛行場移設問題で、わが国の外交・安全保障の基軸である日米同盟を傷つけ、日本政治を大混乱させた。

Hatoyama also could not shake off several scandals, including one in which his mother had given him a sizable amount of money in political funds.
　母親からの巨額資金提供など、「政治とカネ」にまつわる疑惑も払拭(ふっしょく)できなかった。

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Top 2 had to go
　◆２トップ辞任は当然◆

Together with Hatoyama, DPJ Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa will resign. Their resignations are reasonable; both must take "collective responsibility" for allowing the wheels to come off management of the administration.
　首相とともに小沢民主党幹事長も辞任することになった。２人は政権運営の行き詰まりに「連帯責任」を負わねばならず、辞任は当然のことだ。

Hatoyama and the party leadership will resign en masse. The DPJ is due to choose a new leader to succeed Hatoyama at a general meeting of its lawmakers from both Diet chambers Friday.
　民主党は、首相と党執行部の退陣を受け、４日の両院議員総会で「ポスト鳩山」の新代表を選出する運びだ。


Deputy Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who also serves as finance minister, has emerged as one of the possible successors to Hatoyama.
　後継には、菅副総理・財務相らの名があがっている。

The new administration will need to commit itself to reconstructing the Japan-U.S. alliance and rejuvenating the economy by overhauling economic policy.
　新政権は、日米同盟関係の再構築と、経済政策の一新による景気の回復に、全力を挙げる体制をつくらなければならない。

"The public gradually stopped listening [to me]," Hatoyama gave as one reason for stepping down at the general meeting of DPJ lawmakers. Hatoyama has himself to blame, as his own words and deeds were what turned the public off.
　鳩山首相は両院議員総会で、「国民が徐々に聞く耳をもたなくなってきてしまった」と辞任の理由を述べた。国民がほとんど耳を貸さなくなったのは、首相自らが招いた結果だ。

On the Futenma issue, Hatoyama said he would transfer the base's functions "at least" outside Okinawa Prefecture, and he repeatedly said he would settle the issue by the end of May with a plan that would satisfy the United States, the ruling coalition parties and the people of Okinawa. However, he readily broke these promises.
　普天間飛行場の移設問題で、首相は「最低でも県外」と言い、米国、連立与党、沖縄の合意を得るという「５月末決着」を何度も繰り返しながら、いずれも、あっさり反故(ほご)にした。

Hatoyama's words and deeds were riddled with inconsistencies. It is only natural the public lost faith in him.
　これだけ言行不一致を重ねれば、国民が首相の言葉を信じなくなるのは当たり前だろう。

Meanwhile, Ozawa has made no explanation whatsoever before the Diet regarding a money scandal that embroiled his political funds management organization, including a dubious land purchase in Tokyo.
　小沢氏は、自らの資金管理団体をめぐる土地取引疑惑など「政治とカネ」の問題について、国会で一切説明してこなかった。

Ozawa's actions have clearly generated distrust of politics and impeded the Hatoyama administration.
　これが国民の政治不信を招き、鳩山政権の足を引っ張ってきたのは明らかだ。

In a recent Yomiuri Shimbun opinion survey, an overwhelming majority of respondents thought Ozawa should resign. If Ozawa had not taken responsibility and fallen on his sword, criticism of him would have only grown louder.
　本紙の世論調査でも、小沢氏の幹事長辞任を求める声は圧倒的だった。小沢氏が何らけじめをつけなければ、批判は一層強まったに違いない。

Ozawa's resignation apparently reflected these circumstances. Yet if the party truly intends to create a "clean DPJ," as Hatoyama claimed during the general meeting Wednesday, Ozawa should explain in detail his involvement--if any--in a spate of alleged funds scandals that have tarnished his political funds management body.
　小沢氏が辞任に至ったのは、こうした事情が背景にあったためとみられる。ただ、首相が強調したように、「クリーンな民主党」を目指すというなら、小沢氏には、一連の疑惑について、詳しい説明が求められよう。

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Dissolve lower house
　◆衆院解散が筋だが◆

Any administration that has not been given a mandate by the people--a mantle only provided by a House of Representatives election--lacks legitimacy. The DPJ asserted this when it was an opposition party, and criticized recent Liberal Democratic Party-led administrations for changing prime ministers almost every year.
　衆院選で国民の審判を受けていない政権は正統性に欠ける。これまで民主党は、こう主張し、毎年のように首相の交代を繰り返す自民党内閣を批判してきた。

Ideally, the new prime minister would be chosen after a dissolution of the lower house. Yet the approaching House of Councillors election is not the only pressing issue at the moment. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are rising, and the Japanese economy stands at a crossroads.
　本来なら衆院解散によって新首相を選ぶのが筋だ。ただ、参院選が迫っているうえ、目下、朝鮮半島情勢は緊迫し、日本経済も岐路に立たされている。

The DPJ has no choice but to start forming a new administration to fill the political vacuum as quickly as possible.
　民主党が政治空白を最小限にするとして、新政権づくりに着手したのはやむを得まい。

The new DPJ-led administration should not repeat the same mistakes made by the Ozawa-Hatoyama regime. Their "dual power" structure--whereby Ozawa controlled the prime minister from behind the scenes--must be wiped out.
　民主党の新政権は、これまでの「小・鳩」体制と同じ過ちを繰り返してはならないだろう。
　小沢氏が、首相を背後からコントロールするような「二重権力」構造は一掃すべきである。

The incoming administration must avoid the folly of souring relations between the cabinet and ruling coalition parties for the sake of making policy decisions at the initiative of politicians and the Prime Minister's Office, and keeping discussions within the DPJ under lock and key.
　「政策決定の内閣一元化」の名の下に内閣と与党との関係がギクシャクし、党内の議論が封印される愚も避けることが大切だ。

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Review party manifesto
　◆政権公約を見直せ◆

The DPJ is kidding itself if it believes simply changing its leader will regain voter support.
　民主党が政権の「顔」を替えれば、有権者の支持を回復できると考えているなら甘すぎる。

The collapse of the Hatoyama administration stemmed not only from problems of political ethics and blunders in foreign and national security policies.
　鳩山政権の挫折の原因は、政治倫理の問題や外交・安全保障政策の失敗だけではないからだ。

The DPJ's obsession with implementing its manifesto from last summer's lower house election and policy-making made by politicians to the exclusion of bureaucracy have generated negative repercussions.
　衆院選での政権公約（マニフェスト）への過度のこだわりや、官僚組織を排除する「政治主導」の弊害は大きい。

The DPJ should end its intolerable populist political style that is solely intended to win elections.
　選挙のための、目に余るポピュリズム（大衆迎合）政治に、終止符を打ってはどうか。

The party should review as soon as possible such pork-barrel policies as the child-rearing allowance, income compensation for farmers to cover any gaps between production costs and produce prices, and the gradual elimination of expressway tolls.
　大事なのは、子ども手当や、農家への戸別所得補償制度、高速道路無料化といった「財源なきバラマキ施策」を、できるだけ早く見直すことだ。

The consumption tax rate will inevitably need to be raised to secure revenue to put the fiscal house in order and stably manage the social security system. An increasing number of people have realized the necessity of this tax increase.
　財政再建と社会保障制度を安定的に運営するための財源確保に、消費税率の引き上げが避けられない。この点については、国民の理解も進んでいる。

The new DPJ leader must have the mettle to change party policies, such as a drastic reform of the tax system. Compiling a growth strategy that will spell out a solid future vision of the economy also will be an urgent task.
　新代表は、税制の抜本改革に正面から向き合うなど、党の政策を転換させる胆力が欠かせない。
　日本経済の確かな将来像を描く成長戦略の策定も急務だ。

At the same time, the Japan-U.S. alliance must be allowed to function properly.
　一方、日米同盟をしっかり機能させていくことも重要だ。

While the United States was becoming more distrustful of Japan, a South Korean patrol vessel was sunk by a North Korean torpedo. The Chinese Navy, meanwhile, is trying to make training exercises conducted by its fleet in open waters a normal state of affairs.
　米国が対日不信を強める中、北朝鮮の魚雷攻撃による韓国哨戒艦沈没事件が発生した。中国海軍は、遠洋での艦隊訓練を常態化させようとしている。

The deterioration in Japan-U.S. relations also is causing concern among other countries in Asia and the Pacific. The incoming administration must adhere to the 2006 Japan-U.S. accord on the Futenma base relocation and ensure bilateral ties are on a solid footing.
日米関係の悪化は、アジア太平洋の関係諸国にも不安を与えている。
　新政権は普天間問題の日米合意を堅持し、両国の信頼関係を確かなものにしなければならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 3, 2010)
（2010年6月3日01時05分 読売新聞）