参院問責可決 一段と追い込まれた菅政権

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Nov. 29, 2010)
Censures a devastating blow to Kan Cabinet
参院問責可決　一段と追い込まれた菅政権（11月28日付・読売社説）

Censure motions against Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku and transport minister Sumio Mabuchi have been submitted to the House of Councillors and adopted with the support of opposition parties, which form a majority there. The motions criticize Sengoku and Mabuchi's mishandling of the fallout from the collisions between a Chinese trawler and Japan Coast Guard vessels off the Senkaku Islands in September.
　尖閣諸島沖で起きた中国漁船衝突事件の不手際を理由に、仙谷官房長官と馬淵国土交通相に対する問責決議案が参院に提出され、野党の賛成多数で可決された。

The motions are not legally binding, but three lawmakers in the past against whom censure motions were adopted, including former Prime Minister Taro Aso, ultimately had to resign. There is no doubt the administration of Prime Minister Naoto Kan now faces an even tougher predicament.
　問責決議に法的な拘束力はないが、過去に決議が可決した麻生首相ら３氏はいずれも辞任に追い込まれた。菅政権が一段と苦境に立たされたのは間違いない。

The censure motion submitted by the Liberal Democratic Party against Sengoku harshly criticizes the decision not to disclose video of the collisions recorded by the JCG, in addition to the questionable process by which prosecutors ordered the Chinese fishing boat captain's release from custody.
　自民党が提出した仙谷氏の問責決議は、中国人船長釈放の経緯の不透明さに加え、海上保安庁が撮影した衝突時の映像を非公開とした判断を厳しく批判している。

In the case of Mabuchi, the motion pointed out his supervisory responsibility for the JCG's sloppy information management system, which allowed the video to be leaked onto the Internet.
　馬淵氏の場合は、映像流出事件を招いた海保の杜撰(ずさん)な情報管理体制への監督責任を挙げている。

They are both fair points. It is clear that Sengoku and Mabuchi bear political responsibility for the collision incident.
　どれも、もっともな指摘だ。漁船衝突事件で仙谷氏らに政治責任があるのは明白である。

Standoff and stagnation

Kan stressed he would have the two remain in their posts. He is apparently concerned that the administration's foundations would be damaged if Sengoku, who occupies the Cabinet's command post, were made to resign.
　菅首相は、仙谷、馬淵両氏を続投させる考えを強調している。内閣の“司令塔”である仙谷氏を辞任させれば、政権の屋台骨が揺らぐと懸念してのことだろう。

However, significant stagnation in national politics is inevitable. There is of course no prospect of passing legislation during the remainder of the current extraordinary Diet session--or even in the ordinary Diet sessions next year--given that not only the LDP but also New Komeito have distanced themselves from the government and the ruling Democratic Party of Japan.
　だが、自民党だけでなく、公明党まで政府・民主党に距離を置いたままでは、臨時国会の残り会期中は無論、来年の通常国会も法案を成立させるめどが立たず、国政の大幅な停滞が避けられない。

New Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi warned, "If they [Sengoku and Mabuchi] make light of the weight carried by the censure motions and continue their poor handling of issues, the motions will have long-term ramifications."
　公明党の山口代表は「問責の重みを軽視し、さらにまずい対応を重ねることがあれば、問責の効果は尾を引くことになるだろう」と警告している。

Opposition parties appear to be refraining from taking part in deliberations at Diet committees where Sengoku and Mabuchi are in attendance. It is inexcusable that opposition parties would abuse their position and employ such tactics because Sengoku and Mabuchi remain in their posts, but Kan should take to heart the harsh reality of the divided Diet.
　野党側は、仙谷氏らが出席する委員会審議に応じない構えだ。仙谷氏らが閣僚にとどまることを理由に、審議拒否戦術を乱用することは許されないが、菅首相は、ねじれ国会という厳しい現実を重く受け止めるべきだ。

Diet has accomplished little

Before the censure motions were approved, the supplementary budget for fiscal 2010--incorporating more than 4.8 trillion yen worth of measures to deal with the rising yen and deflation--passed the Diet. However, only about a third of the bills submitted by the government have so far passed the Diet. We cannot help but say the current Diet session has produced few noteworthy achievements other than the supplementary budget.
　問責決議に先立ち、総額４兆８０００億円超の円高・デフレ対策を盛り込んだ今年度補正予算が成立した。しかし、政府提出法案の成立はわずか３０％台だ。補正予算以外は、見るべき成果がほとんどない国会と言わざるを得ない。

Both ruling and opposition parities have a responsibility to avoid stagnation in national politics as a result of the divided Diet. However, it is the government and DPJ that must make additional efforts toward this end.
　ねじれ国会による国政停滞を避ける責任は与野党双方にある。だが、より多くの努力を求められるのは政府・民主党である。

In particular, it is impermissible for the government and DPJ to close the current Diet session without summoning former DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa to testify before the Diet over his money and politics scandal.
　特に、小沢一郎・民主党元代表の「政治とカネ」に関する国会招致を実現しないまま、今国会を閉じることは到底許されまい。

Kan should exercise leadership, rather than leave to DPJ Secretary General Katsuya Okada the task of persuading Ozawa to testify before the Diet. Kan would be totally in the wrong if he calculated it would be acceptable to just let the current Diet session expire, using the excuse of the confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties following the adoption of the censure motions.
　菅首相は、小沢氏の説得を岡田幹事長任せにせず、自ら指導力を発揮すべきだ。まして、問責決議を受けた与野党対立を口実に、このまま会期末を迎えればよい、と計算しているとすれば、大きな考え違いである。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nov. 28, 2010)
（2010年11月28日01時41分 読売新聞）