参院選公約 民主党の現実路線は本物か

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Jun. 19, 2010)
Has DPJ really taken realistic turn?
参院選公約　民主党の現実路線は本物か（6月18日付・読売社説）

The Democratic Party of Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party and other political parties have announced their campaign pledges for the House of Councillors election scheduled for July 11.
　民主、自民など各政党が、７月１１日投開票の参院選の公約を相次いで発表した。

A number of issues require deep discussion before the election--not least whether the consumption tax rate should be raised. We hope every party will discuss their policies with gusto.
　消費税論議をはじめ、掘り下げるべき論点は数多い。各党とも、活発な政策論議を展開してほしい。

The DPJ manifesto for the upper house poll has a healthier dose of realism than the pledges it made for last year's House of Representatives election.
　民主党の公約は、昨年の衆院選の政権公約に比べ、現実路線に大きく舵(かじ)を切った。

However, doubts linger over whether the new DPJ manifesto is merely a political gesture intended to draw votes, or if it is a genuine change of direction based firmly on realistic calculations.
単なる選挙向けのポーズでなく、地に足のついたものかどうかが問われよう。

On restoring fiscal health, the DPJ has a goal of achieving a primary balance surplus in the budget 10 years from now. To achieve this objective, the manifesto stipulates the party will start a suprapartisan debate on drastic tax reform--including consumption tax.
　財政健全化については、１０年後に基礎的財政収支を黒字化する目標を掲げ、そのために「消費税を含む税制の抜本改革」の超党派協議を開始すると明記した。

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Clarify tax reform picture

The LDP manifesto says the consumption tax rate should be raised to 10 percent for the time being. The main opposition party came up with this figure based on the costs needed to finance social security.
　自民党は公約で、社会保障分野で要する費用を根拠として示したうえで、消費税率の「当面１０％」引き上げを掲げた。

At a press conference Thursday, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said, "We'll use the 10 percent proposal contained in the LDP pledges as one reference." As long as the DPJ is calling for suprapartisan debate on tax reform, the party should clarify the whole picture of this reform and what this would entail.
　菅首相は記者会見で、「自民党公約の１０％を参考にしたい」と述べた。超党派協議を呼び掛ける以上、民主党としての税制改革の全体像を明確にすべきである。

In its latest manifesto, the DPJ erased the "monthly amount of 26 yen,000" for the child allowance it pledged in last year's manifesto. Instead, the 2010 manifesto says the party will provide "something additional" to the 13,000 yen currently handed out each month. The DPJ has given up trying to provide the promised amount because there is not enough money to fund it--although last year the party insisted the cash would be found.
　民主党は、衆院選公約で示した子ども手当の「月額２万６０００円」支給を削除し、現支給額の月額１万３０００円に「上乗せする」と改めた。財源のめどが立たず、満額支給を断念したものだ。

However, the party has retained dole-out measures such as income support for farming households and a plan to abolish expressway tolls. We think the DPJ should review these measures, too.
　しかし、高速道路無料化や農家への戸別所得補償制度など、バラマキ型の施策は、依然として残されている。これらについても、さらなる見直しが必要だろう。

In diplomatic and security fields, the party dropped the expression "move in the direction of reexamining" the role of U.S. military bases in Japan. On the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Base in Okinawa Prefecture, the party vows to "do its utmost to lessen Okinawa Prefecture's burden based on the Japan-U.S. agreement."
　外交・安全保障分野でも、在日米軍基地について「見直しの方向で臨む」との表現を削除し、米軍普天間飛行場移設問題では、「日米合意に基づいて、沖縄の負担軽減に全力を尽くす」とした。

Last year, the DPJ did not mention China's steady military expansion. This time, however, the manifesto calls for China to be more transparent in its national defense policy.
　衆院選の公約では触れなかった中国の軍拡への懸念にも、「透明性を求める」と言及した。

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Omitting inconveniences

It is only natural that the ruling party has shifted its stance after taking into consideration the importance of the Japan-U.S. alliance and Japan's security environment.
　日米同盟の重要性や、わが国の置かれた安全保障環境を踏まえての路線転換は、政権政党として当然のことである。

Notable in the latest DPJ manifesto is the omission of a time schedule for each policy measure in each fiscal year. Last year's manifesto included such information. Similarly, the party did not provide a booklet of policy details; until last year, the party printed such a booklet to go with its pledges for each national election.
　今回の民主党の公約で特徴的なのは、衆院選公約で示した年度ごとの政策工程表が省かれている点だ。公約に合わせて必ず発表してきた「政策集」もない。

We assume the DPJ left these items out because it does not want voters to later go back and check which policies the party abandoned or revised.
　どの政策を断念し、どう修正したかを過去にさかのぼって検証されることを嫌ったのだろう。

In its "Index 2009," the policy booklet for last year's election, the DPJ included controversial issues including its plan to swiftly introduce local suffrage to permanent foreign residents. The booklet's absence will leave voters unsure if the DPJ still considers these issues as planks of its agenda.
　衆院選の政策集には、永住外国人への地方選挙権付与の早期実現など、問題の多い内容が含まれている。今回、政策集の発表を見合わせた結果、これらの政策が今も生きているのかどうかが、まったくわからない。

The DPJ should immediately explain where it stands on these matters.
　民主党は、こうした疑問点について、速やかに説明すべきだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun,June 18, 2010)
（2010年6月18日01時05分 読売新聞）