菅・新首相選出 日米同盟と経済を立て直せ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Jun. 6, 2010)
Kan must revive economy, restore alliance with U.S.
菅・新首相選出　日米同盟と経済を立て直せ（6月5日付・読売社説）

It was a very hasty selection of the national leader. Naoto Kan, president of the Democratic Party of Japan, was elected prime minister Friday afternoon, only two days after outgoing Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama announced his resignation.
　いかにもにわか仕立てである。鳩山首相の退陣表明からわずか２日後、後継首相に菅直人・民主党代表が選出された。

People may worry about a leader who is elected in such a way. To dispel these concerns, Prime Minister-elect Kan must put all his effort into patching up the strained Japan-U.S. alliance, which is the linchpin of this country's foreign policy and security, as well as turning around the Japanese economy.
　これで大丈夫なのか、そんな懸念を払拭(ふっしょく)するためにも、菅・新首相は、外交・安全保障の基軸である日米同盟関係の修復と、日本経済の立て直しに全力を挙げねばならない。

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Strategic view important
　◆戦略的視点が重要だ

Kan, who entered politics after he was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1980 on the ticket of the now-defunct United Social Democratic Party, has been called a "politician of the people." It is true that the common sense of ordinary people is important.
　社会民主連合から初当選し、政界入りした菅新首相は、「市民派」の政治家と言われてきた。確かに市民感覚も大切である。

However, we hope Kan, as national leader, will strive to manage politics from a broad and strategic standpoint that protects people's safety and security and attaches great importance to national interests.
　しかし、今後は、国家指導者として、国民の安全と安心を守り、国益を重視するという大局的、戦略的な視点からの政治運営に努めてほしい。

Prior to the prime ministerial votes Friday, Kan beat Shinji Tarutoko, chairman of the lower house Environment Committee, by a wide margin in the DPJ presidential election.
　首相指名選挙に先立つ民主党代表選で、菅新首相は、樽床伸二衆院環境委員長を大差で破った。

Kan's turn has finally come round, as Hatoyama and DPJ Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa, with whom Kan formed a troika, have both resigned.
　鳩山、菅、小沢幹事長の３氏による「トロイカ体制」のうち、「小・鳩」の２氏が退陣し、残る菅氏にお鉢が回ってきた。

Kan drew public attention when he dealt with the issue of HIV-tainted blood products as health minister in the 1990s. He founded the original DPJ with Hatoyama in 1996 and realized its 2003 merger with the Liberal Party, which was led by Ozawa.
　新首相は、厚相として薬害エイズ問題に取り組んで注目を浴びた。鳩山首相とともに民主党を結党し、小沢氏が党首だった自由党との合併も実現した。

Kan garnered broad support from the DPJ in its recent election, probably because of his varied political career and his high name recognition.
　今回、党内の幅広い支持を集めたのも、多彩な政治経歴と高い知名度のためだろう。

But the DPJ presidential election lacked policy debates between the two contenders. Does the DPJ really think it will be able to make a fresh start without examining the mistakes made by the Hatoyama administration?
　それにしても党代表選では、政策論議が乏しかった。民主党は鳩山政権の失敗の検証なくして出直しができると、本当に考えているのだろうか。

Kan has started working on appointments to the cabinet and to party executive positions. It is important for Kan to eliminate the dual power structure under which someone can pull strings from behind the scenes to control the prime minister, as Ozawa did.
　菅新首相は、内閣・党役員人事に着手した。ここでは、小沢幹事長のように背後から首相をコントロールする「二重権力」構造を排除することが大事だ。

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End dual power structure
　◆二重権力を排除せよ

Yoshito Sengoku, state minister in charge of national policy, likely will be named chief cabinet secretary, the cabinet's pivotal post, while it is widely expected that Yukio Edano, state minister in charge of government revitalization, will replace Ozawa as the DPJ's secretary general.
　内閣の要の官房長官には仙谷由人国家戦略相が内定し、幹事長には枝野幸男行政刷新相の起用が有力視されている。

When he stood for the DPJ's presidential election, Kan said, "I think [Ozawa] should stay quiet for the time being, and that would be good for himself, the DPJ and Japanese politics." Giving important positions to Sengoku and Edano--both "non-Ozawa" group members--indicates that Kan is distancing himself from Ozawa.
　新首相は、代表選出馬にあたり小沢氏について「しばらく静かにして頂いた方が、本人にも、民主党にも、日本の政治にとってもいい」と述べた。「非小沢」の仙谷、枝野両氏の重用は、小沢氏と距離を置く姿勢を示すものだろう。

Kan also has announced that he will resurrect the DPJ's Policy Research Committee, which was abolished at Ozawa's behest.
　新首相は、小沢氏主導で廃止された民主党の「政策調査会」の復活も表明している。

Reviving the council should enliven policy debates within the party, which stagnated due to the centralization of decision-making on policy matters in the Cabinet.
　「政策決定の内閣一元化」方針により、停滞してきた党内の政策論議を、政調復活を機に活性化させる意義は小さくない。

The appointments of cabinet members were delayed until Tuesday, but many important political issues will not wait.
　組閣人事は、週明けに先送りされたが、数々の重要政治課題は、待ってはくれない。

Many people have said they do not know much about Kan's basic ideas on national management or his stance toward amending the Constitution. We hope he will clarify his opinions on these points in the Diet as early as possible.
　菅新首相については、国家経営の基本的考え方や憲法改正への姿勢などがよくわからない、という指摘が多い。できるだけ早期に、国会の場で自らの所信を明らかにしてもらいたい。

Kan also said he thinks "it is an overriding principle that the Japan-U.S. relationship is the cornerstone of Japan's diplomacy." However, the Japan-U.S. alliance has been seriously damaged due to the Hatoyama administration's bungled handling of the issue of relocating the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station.
　新首相は、「日本外交の基軸が日米関係にあるという大原則はその通りだ」と語った。だが、日米同盟は、米軍普天間飛行場移設問題をめぐる鳩山政権の失政によって深く傷ついている。

Not only must the new government abide by the recent Japan-U.S. joint statement concerning the Futenma issue, but it is also essential to assuage U.S. distrust toward Japan on the matter by deciding on the location of alternative facilities and a construction method for envisioned runways by the end of August.
　普天間問題に関する日米共同声明を順守するのはもちろん、代替施設の位置や工法について８月末までに決定し、米側の対日不信を解消していくことが肝要だ。

With regard to economic policy, Kan stressed that he "will achieve a strong economy, strong fiscal structure and strong social security in an integrated fashion."
　経済政策に関して、菅新首相は、「強い経済、強い財政、強い社会保障を一体的に実現する」と強調している。

As the finance minister in the Hatoyama Cabinet, Kan has spoken of the need to restore fiscal discipline, including capping the issuance of government bonds in fiscal 2011 at below the fiscal 2010 level.
　財務相として、２０１１年度の国債の新規発行額を今年度以下に抑えることなど、財政規律回復の必要性を説いてきた。

To this end, he should review lavish handout policies, including the provision of child-rearing allowances, as quickly as possible.
　そのためにも、子ども手当などのバラマキ施策は早急に見直すべきだ。

And how about removing the "seal" under which Hatoyama promised not to raise the consumption tax rate during the current tenure of lower house members, at this juncture?
鳩山首相が現在の衆院議員の任期中、消費税率は引き上げないとしてきた“封印”をこの際、解いてはどうか。

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Utilize bureaucrats well
　◆官僚を使いこなそう

To steadily carry out policies, bureaucrat-bashing in the name of political leadership must cease.
　政策を着実に遂行するには、「政治主導」の名の下の官僚たたきをやめる必要がある。

Bureaucratic organizations are of service to the formulation of policies in special fields and in crisis management. Politicians must have the capability and caliber to have a good command of bureaucrats.
　専門的な政策の立案や危機管理の面で、官僚組織は有用である。政治家は、官僚たちをうまく使いこなせるだけの能力と度量を磨いていかねばならない。

Kan met People's New Party leader Shizuka Kamei and agreed to maintain the current two-party coalition. Depending on the results of the House of Councillors election in summer, a coalition government under a new framework may emerge.
　菅新首相は、国民新党の亀井静香代表と会談し、連立政権の継続で合意した。さらに、今夏の参院選の結果次第では、新たな枠組みの連立政権も想定されよう。

A political situation in which a small party uses its deciding vote to push around a major party, which is in too much of a hurry to juggle the number of Diet seats its coalition controls, would seriously distort politics.
　数合わせを急ぐあまり、キャスチングボートを握る少数政党に振り回されることは、政治を大きく歪(ゆが)めることになる。

The DPJ must realize through its own experience of its recently ended coalition with the Social Democratic Party that a marriage of convenience between parties with conflicts over basic policies concerning diplomacy and national security cannot go well. It should not consider renewing a relationship with the SDP as a coalition partner.
　民主党は、外交・安保の基本政策で相いれない社民党との連立がうまくいかないことを身をもって知ったはずだ。社民党との“復縁”などは考えてはなるまい。

The money-and-politics issues that forced the Hatoyama administration into collapse have not been solved at all, even after the resignations of Hatoyama and Ozawa. If the DPJ is to seek clean politics, it should ask the two to fulfill their responsibility to explain about money scandals in the Diet.
　鳩山政権を崩壊に追い込んだ「政治とカネ」の問題は、鳩山、小沢両氏の退陣によっても、何ら解決していない。民主党がクリーンな政治をめざすというなら、両氏に国会で説明責任を果たすよう求めるべきだろう。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 5, 2010)
（2010年6月5日01時49分 読売新聞）