柳田法相更迭 政権の態勢を早急に立て直せ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Nov. 24, 2010)
Kan Cabinet must pull itself together
柳田法相更迭　政権の態勢を早急に立て直せ（11月23日付・読売社説）

Justice Minister Minoru Yanagida resigned Monday to take responsibility over his recent verbal gaffe, remarks that many interpreted as disrespectful of Diet deliberations. His resignation is widely seen as a de facto dismissal by Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who has placed priority on trouble-free deliberations in the Diet to pass a fiscal 2010 supplementary budget. We think Kan's decision was reasonable.
　「国会軽視」と受け取られる軽率な発言の責任を取り、柳田稔法相が辞任した。菅首相が円滑な国会審議を優先したもので、事実上の更迭だ。当然の判断と言える。

Opposition parties were moving to submit a censure motion against the justice minister at the House of Councillors on Monday. Even if the motion had passed, it would not have been legally binding, but there was concern that passage of the motion might have significantly impeded Diet deliberations on the supplementary budget.
　野党は２２日中に参院に法相問責決議案を提出する構えを見せていた。決議案が可決されても、法的拘束力はないが、補正予算案審議が大幅に遅れる恐れがあった。

With the road to recovery for the Japanese economy still uncertain, the most urgent issue is swift approval and implementation of the supplementary budget. The prime minister must take advantage of Yanagida's dismissal to quickly re-create a situation in which his administration can implement policies.
　景気回復の道筋が不透明な中、補正予算案の早期成立・執行は最優先課題だ。菅首相は、法相更迭を機に、政策が遂行できる態勢を早急に立て直さねばならない。

Yanagida was quoted as saying at a Nov. 14 gathering of supporters in his constituency that he could get through Diet deliberations with only two phrases. One, he said, was: "I can't comment on a specific issue."
　柳田法相は１４日の地元会合で、「個別事案は答えを差し控える」など２通りの答弁で国会審議は切り抜けられると発言した。

Yanagida said at a Monday press conference held to announce his resignation that he had spoken in jest, but we still believe his gaffe casts doubt on his merit as a Cabinet minister.
２２日の辞任会見では、「ジョーク交じりの発言」と釈明したが、閣僚としての資質が疑われる。

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Appoint qualified ministers

The prime minister will be held responsible for appointing Yanagida as justice minister.
　柳田法相の人選には、菅首相の任命責任も問われよう。

During his 20 years as a lawmaker, Yanagida had never worked on judicial affairs. When he was appointed justice minister with the endorsement of the Democratic Party of Japan caucus in the upper house, Yanagida reportedly said, "Why me?"
　柳田氏は２０年間の国会議員活動で、法務関係を担当した経験がない。参院民主党の推薦で法相に起用された際、本人が「何で俺が」と漏らしたほどだ。

Cabinet appointments were frequently based on seniority and factional power politics under Liberal Democratic Party-led governments as well. However, if the DPJ is going to tout "leadership by politicians" as a slogan, it should have given more consideration to Yanagida's abilities and aptitude.
　年功序列と派閥力学による閣僚人事は自民党政権でも横行していた。だが、民主党が「政治主導」を掲げるなら、本人の能力と適性をもっと考慮すべきだった。

Kan's administration apparently lacks a sense of crisis and does not fully understand it is facing a so-called divided Diet, where the opposition controls the upper house, at a time of diminishing public support.
　菅政権は、支持率が急落する中で衆参ねじれ国会に直面しているとの危機感が乏しい。

The administration emphasizes careful deliberations in the Diet but it is not working actively to bring them about, just pushing the responsibility for stalled Diet deliberations onto opposition parties.
「熟議の国会」と言うばかりで、法案審議が進まない責任を野党に押しつけ、自らは積極的に動かない。

With this attitude, the Kan administration will never break free of its current predicament.
これでは現在の苦境を打開できまい。

The prime minister told the House of Representatives Budget Committee on Nov. 8 that he wanted to keep managing the government "no matter what." Kan should prioritize policy implementation, but this remark sounds like staying in power itself has become his goal.
　首相は予算委で、今後の政権運営について「石にかじりついても頑張りたい」と語った。本来重視すべきは政策遂行なのに、政権維持が自己目的化していないか。

In foreign affairs, the prime minister also seems fixated on holding summit talks with Chinese and Russian leaders without paying attention to their content. That will not help him protect Japan's national interest.
　外交面でも、中国やロシアとの首脳会談の中身でなく、会談の開催自体を目的にしているようでは日本の国益は守れない。

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Kan must take charge

The prime minister should exercise his leadership, realizing that the cowering of his administration, which tries to put off decisions on everything, has lowered public support for it.
　首相は、何事も先送りを図る、萎(い)縮(しゅく)した政権の姿勢が支持率低下の要因であることを自覚し、指導力を発揮すべきだ。

During the current extraordinary Diet session, Kan must arrange to summon former DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa to the Diet and disclose the video of a Chinese fishing boat ramming two Japan Coast Guard patrol boats off Senkaku Islands. It is also important for each member of his Cabinet to be more cautious and take responsibility for his or her remarks.
　臨時国会中に民主党の小沢一郎元代表の国会招致を実現し、尖閣諸島沖の漁船衝突ビデオも公開する必要がある。各閣僚も、もっと緊張感を保ち、自らの発言に責任を持つことが大切だ。

Yanagida's successor needs to be appointed as soon as possible. Alleged tampering of evidence by a prosecutor of the special investigation unit at the Osaka District Public Prosecutors Office, and a subsequent cover-up scandal by his superiors, have made reform of the nation's prosecution system a pressing issue.
　柳田法相の後任も早く決める必要がある。特捜検事の証拠改ざんや隠蔽(いんぺい)事件で、検察改革は待ったなしの課題だ。

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku is currently doubling as justice minister, but this will not allow the government to tackle policy issues appropriately.
仙谷官房長官が法相兼務では、政策課題にきちんと取り組めるはずがない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nov. 23, 2010)
（2010年11月23日01時17分 読売新聞）