小沢氏出馬表明 日本の針路を競う代表選に

to fend off a barrage of questions from the opposition camp
＝野党側の厳しい追及を乗り切っていく
英語はほとんど大丈夫、理解できる。
理解不能の日本語発見。
右顧左眄(うこさべん) =右を見たり左を見たりして迷うこと。左顧右眄。
Kokugo Dai Jiten Dictionary. Shinsou-ban (Revised edition) ｩ Shogakukan 1988/国語大辞典（新装版）ｩ小学館 1988
（スラチャイ）

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Aug. 28, 2010)
DPJ election should be battle over policy
小沢氏出馬表明　日本の針路を競う代表選に（8月27日付・読売社説）

The Democratic Party of Japan's upcoming presidential election is almost certain to be a two-man race between Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who is seeking reelection as DPJ chief, and former party Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa.
　民主党代表選は、再選をめざす菅首相と小沢一郎前幹事長との、事実上の一騎打ちになることが固まった。

Selecting the leader of the largest ruling party is effectively synonymous with choosing the next prime minister. 　与党第１党の党首選は首相選びに直結する。

We hope the DPJ will choose the winner of the race through a serious battle of words concerning the course this country should take.
The election should not be reduced to a race in which its two opposing camps struggle to win party members over to their respective sides, thus determining which can seize power: the bloc that wants Ozawa removed from the center of the party and the government, or the side that supports him.
「脱小沢」か「親小沢」かという権力争奪の多数派工作に堕することなく、あるべき日本の針路を論じ合って雌雄を決してほしい。

　◆分裂、政界再編の芽も◆
Ozawa has expressed his intention to run in the Sept. 14 election, campaigning for which will start Wednesday. 　小沢氏は、９月１日告示、１４日投開票の党代表選に出馬する意向を表明した。

His move comes after he secured the support of former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama; Ozawa had been considering entering the race if he could receive support from a wide range of DPJ lawmakers.
　党内の幅広い支持を得られることを前提に出馬を検討していた小沢氏は、鳩山前首相の支持をとりつけた上で立候補に踏み切った。

However, this does not mean Ozawa has been guaranteed support from most DPJ members.
だが、支持の大勢が固まっているわけではない。

Attempt at truce failed

A key factor behind the Kan-Ozawa showdown is the bitter discord between the former DPJ secretary general and senior party leaders seeking to eliminating his influence within the party, including the prime minister, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku and party Secretary General Yukio Edano.
　今回の対決の背景には、小沢氏と、「脱小沢」を掲げる菅首相や仙谷官房長官、枝野幹事長らとの強い軋轢(あつれき)がある。

Ozawa's announcement of his decision to run was preceded by Hatoyama's attempt to broker a compromise between Kan and Ozawa, in the hope of averting a deepening schism among intraparty groups.
　鳩山氏は、党の亀裂が深まる事態を避けるため、菅首相と小沢氏との仲介に動いた。

However, Kan was reluctant to accept Hatoyama's request to ensure key figures from each intraparty group, including Ozawa, were represented in the party's leadership and the Cabinet, in what could be called a whole-party approach.
だが、鳩山氏が小沢氏の要職起用を含む挙党態勢の構築を求めたのに対して、菅首相は難色を示した。

This bitterly antagonized Ozawa.
A decision by Ozawa not to run would have enabled Kan to win unopposed, a development that would cost the veteran DPJ kingpin support among a number of party members. Ozawa's decision to run can be seen as a last-resort measure to avoid this.
　小沢氏は反発し、菅首相の無投票再選を容認すれば、党内で孤立しかねず、窮余の決断になったものとみられる。

Kan's rejection of Hatoyama's request caused the former prime minister to shift his support from Kan to Ozawa. Hatoyama earlier said he would back Kan's bid to be reelected as DPJ president, provided he adopts a whole-party approach.
　挙党態勢を条件に「菅氏支持」を表明していた鳩山氏は、一転して「小沢氏支持」に変わった。

Hatoyama's obvious change of heart must be criticized as unacceptable. It is disconcerting that he has endorsed Ozawa's bid to become DPJ leader--we should remember that Hatoyama stepped down as party head and prime minister before the House of Councillors election in July to take the blame for the turmoil arising from his poorly thought-out approach to politically divisive issues, at the same time urging Ozawa to resign as party secretary general.
参院選前、政局混迷の責任をとってともに辞任した小沢氏を代表に推すのは、納得し難い行動だ。

Ozawa's decision to run in the wake of Hatoyama's failed peacemaking means he has concluded that taking the DPJ's top post will be the best way for him to escape the damned-if-he-does-and-damned-if-he-doesn't situation he is in. All this likely will turn the upcoming election into a battle that will divide the ruling party. The DPJ could be broken up into different groups and this could eventually result in a new round of political realignment--that is, new splits and mergers among both ruling and opposition parties.
　鳩山氏の調停失敗を受け、小沢氏が正面突破を図ったことで、代表選は党を二分する争いになる見込みだ。党分裂含みの展開も予想され、今後、野党を巻き込んだ政界再編の動きも出てこよう。

Back to basics
　◆「政治とカネ」説明を◆

Some groups of pro-Ozawa DPJ legislators have insisted their party "return to square one" in policy administration, saying the party's defeat in the upper house election was the result of its failure to honor its manifesto for last year's general election. These groups also have criticized Kan for stating his administration would explore the possibility of raising the consumption tax rate during campaigning for the upper house election.
　小沢支持グループは、参院選の敗北が衆院選の政権公約（マニフェスト）から逸脱した結果だとして、「原点回帰」を唱えている。菅首相の消費税率引き上げ検討発言も批判してきた。

However, it is easy to see that lavish handout policies such as child-rearing allowances cannot be carried out as initially pledged, given the extremely optimistic estimate drawn up by the DPJ regarding the necessary financial resources.
　しかし、子ども手当などのバラマキ政策は、当初の極めて甘い財源見通しにより、公約通りに実行できないのは明らかだ。

If Ozawa truly believes in a back-to-square-one approach, he must show what kind of realistic measures would be implemented to raise the funds necessary for promised policies, while also presenting a timetable for each policy as soon as possible.
　小沢氏が原点回帰路線に立つなら、公約実施に向けた現実的な財源と、工程表を早急に提示することが肝要だ。

This is not the only thing on Ozawa's must-do list; he must also fulfill his duty to answer questions about the political funding scandal surrounding him.
　小沢氏がなすべきことは、それだけではない。「政治とカネ」の問題について、きちんと説明責任を果たすことが欠かせない。

Ozawa's politics-and-money scandal includes alleged violations of the Political Funds Control Law in connection with a shady land purchase by his funds management organization. During the last ordinary Diet session, Ozawa refused to attend the House of Representatives' Deliberative Council on Political Ethics and state his position on the issue. He also escaped being forced to testify under oath in the Diet.
　自らの資金管理団体の土地購入をめぐる政治資金規正法違反事件について、小沢氏は先の通常国会では、衆院政治倫理審査会で弁明せず、証人喚問からも逃れた。

However, it will be extremely difficult for Ozawa to fend off a barrage of questions from the opposition camp in the divided Diet. The upper house is at the mercy of the opposition bloc due to the ruling coalition's loss of its majority in the July election, while the ruling parties have an overwhelming majority in the lower house.
　しかし、参院選の結果、与党が過半数を失ったことによる「衆参ねじれ国会」の下で、野党側の厳しい追及を乗り切っていくことは極めて難しい。

Ozawa seeking escape?

Ozawa will be automatically indicted in connection with his alleged funding irregularities if a Tokyo independent inquest-of-prosecution panel decides in autumn that his case merits indictment, after reconsidering prosecutors' earlier decision not to do so.
　今秋、検察審査会が再び、「起訴すべき」と議決すれば、本来なら小沢氏の強制起訴は免れない。

The Constitution contains an article that stipulates ministers of the state "shall not be subject to legal action without the consent of the Prime Minister" during their time in office.
ただ、憲法には「国務大臣は在任中、総理大臣の同意がなければ訴追されない」との規定がある。

Some DPJ members who support Kan have said Ozawa may be seeking to become prime minister in the hope of taking advantage of this constitutional provision to escape indictment.
　菅支持派からは「小沢氏は起訴を逃れるため、首相をめざすのではないか」との声も聞かれる。

What will Ozawa actually do, if and when the judiciary panel concludes he should be indicted? Well before the committee reaches its eventual decision on the case in question, Ozawa should tell the public how he will deal with such a situation.
　実際、「起訴議決」の場合、小沢氏はどう対処するのか。事前に明らかにする責任もあろう。

Meanwhile, Kan must take seriously Ozawa's candidacy for their party's leadership.
　一方、菅首相は、小沢氏の出馬が確定したことを、重く受け止めなければならない。

The DPJ's top echelon, including the prime minister, has done little to settle the dispute over their responsibility for the party's electoral setback. Neither have they fully analyzed why the ruling party was defeated in the upper house race. This failure has done much to foster discontent among many DPJ members.
　菅首相以下、民主党執行部は、参院選敗北について明確な責任をとらず、敗因についても十分な総括をしてこなかった。これらが党内に不満を醸成した。

　◆政治空白の余裕はない◆
There is no denying that many DPJ lawmakers feel uneasy about Kan's ability--or lack thereof--to manage his own party and make decisions about government policies.
　党運営や政策遂行をめぐる首相の指導力や判断力に、民主党の多くの議員が不安を抱いていることも否定できない。

Take this nation's current economic crisis--including the recent surge in the value of the yen and falling stock prices. The Kan administration has been slow to address these problems. Despite having to campaign for his reelection as DPJ chief, Kan must fulfill his duties to run the country as prime minister.
　最近の円高や株安など、経済危機への対応一つとっても、菅内閣の動きは鈍い。代表選の最中にあっても、首相は国政を預かる責任を果たさなければならない。

Kan must speak clearly

If he hopes to amend the manifesto, the prime minister should reexamine the policies the DPJ-led government has implemented since the party took power, while also clearly showing the public which policies will be changed and which will be kept in place.
　首相は、政権公約の修正を図ろうとするなら、政権交代以降の政策を再点検し、今後、何を変え、何を継続するのかを明確にすることが大事だ。

This also applies to Kan's approach to the consumption tax issue. He should be resolute in stating his opinions about the matter.
　消費税率の引き上げ問題も、右顧左眄(うこさべん)せず、所信を正面から訴えるべきである。

The current DPJ came into being in 2003, when Kan and Ozawa agreed to merge their respective parties, with the aim of toppling the then Liberal Democratic Party-led ruling coalition from power and establishing a DPJ-led administration. In those days, the DPJ was headed by Kan and the defunct Liberal Party by Ozawa.
　現在の民主党は２００３年、当時の菅民主党代表と小沢自由党党首が、政権交代を旗印に、両党を合併して生まれた。

Even since its inauguration, the current DPJ has been described as a "mutual aid society" aimed at ensuring its two constituent parties help each other in elections. The DPJ-LP integration also has been dismissed as a merger that lacks political goals and principles.
　当初から「選挙互助会」とか、「理念なき合併」との指摘があった。

In fact, the DPJ has yet to lay out guiding principles for such fundamental policies as constitutional amendment, national security and reform of the consumption tax.
憲法改正や安保政策、消費税問題など党の基本政策は、今もって確立していない。

The ruling party's inadequacy in this has hindered progress in implementing such key policies.
これが、政権担当政党として政策を進める上の障害になっている。

Kan and Ozawa should lock horns in a debate over their party's basic policies, instead of fearing that their battle in the DPJ leadership race could lead to a rupture in the party or renewed alignment of political parties and groups.
　この際、両氏は、党分裂や政界再編に至る可能性に臆することなく、党の基本政策について徹底した議論を展開すべきだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 27, 2010)
（2010年8月27日01時23分 読売新聞）