国会正常化へ 無策のまま時間を浪費するな

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Jul. 6, 2011)
Attention, Diet members: Stop wasting time
国会正常化へ　無策のまま時間を浪費するな（7月5日付・読売社説）

The stalled Diet session will finally resume deliberations on Wednesday.
　空転していた国会が、ようやく６日に審議を再開する。

The ruling Democratic Party of Japan and the two major opposition parties--the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito--have agreed to get the Diet back to normal.
民主、自民、公明３党が国会を正常化することで合意した。

The Diet, since it decided on June 22 to extend its current session by 70 days, has not held any deliberations.
　国会は先月２２日に７０日間の会期延長を決めて以来、審議をしていない。

So what is the extension for?
何のための延長か。

The government and the ruling parties should seriously reflect on that.
政府・与党は猛省すべきだ。

Prime Minister Naoto Kan is primarily responsible for the stalled Diet.
　国会空転の責任は、一義的には菅首相にある。

Kan reneged on the idea--agreed on earlier by the secretaries general of the DPJ, the LDP and Komeito--of extending the Diet session by just 50 days to pass or vote on three key bills, including the second supplementary budget for fiscal 2011.
首相は民主、自民、公明３党の幹事長が第２次補正予算案など３件の成立・採決で合意した会期延長案を反古(ほご)にした。

Kan did not call on the opposition camp to resume the Diet deliberation strongly enough.
This is apparently due to his guilty feelings over having appointed an LDP member in the House of Councillors as parliamentary secretary for internal affairs and communications, as if he were scheming to win over members of the opposition party one at a time.
　自民党参院議員を総務政務官に「一本釣り」したことの後ろめたさもあってか、野党に審議再開を強く呼びかけてこなかった。

Kan also hinted at the possibility of his dissolving the House of Representatives for a snap election by saying that "energy policy will be the biggest point of contention in the next national election."
　首相は、「エネルギー政策は次期国政選挙でも最大の争点」として、衆院解散もちらつかせた。

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Politics going nowhere

This self-righteous political style has created a political vacuum and amplified the people's distrust of politics.
　こうした首相の独善的な政治手法が「政治空白」を招き、国民の政治不信を増幅させている。

According to a recent public opinion poll taken by The Yomiuri Shimbun, 66 percent of pollees sense "stagnation in politics."
　読売新聞の世論調査によると、「政治の停滞」を感じる人は６６％にのぼる。

In regards to when they hope to see Kan step down, a combined total of 72 percent said either "as soon as possible," or "by the end of August."
首相の退陣については「できるだけ早く」「８月末まで」との回答が計７２％を占めた。

Ryu Matsumoto, newly appointed by Kan as reconstruction minister, has also caused a stir.
　首相の肝いりで起用された松本復興相も物議を醸している。

During a weekend visit to disaster-hit areas, Matsumoto repeatedly made high-handed remarks. After Matsumoto waited for a prefectural governor to appear in a reception room, he told the governor, "When a guest comes, you have to be present."
現地入りし、県知事に「お客が来る時は、自分が（部屋に）入ってから呼べ」などと高圧的な発言を連発した。

If he thinks he is a "guest," he is wrong in his judgment.
自分を「客」だと思っているのなら、勘違いも甚だしい。

No matter how feckless it is, the administration should not waste any more time doing nothing.
　ふがいない政権だが、無策のまま時間を浪費してはならない。

It is vitally important for the government and the ruling parties to seek cooperation of the opposition parties on high-priority policies and swiftly implement them.
　政府・与党は優先度の高い政策から野党に協力を求め、実現を急ぐことが肝要だ。

DPJ Secretary General Katsuya Okada once again called on the LDP and Komeito to cooperate in the early enactment of a bill for a temporary law to allow the issuance of deficit-covering special public bonds, which Kan cited as one of the conditions for him to resign.
　民主党の岡田幹事長は、自民、公明両党に対し、首相が退陣の条件に掲げる特例公債法案の早期成立への協力を改めて要請した。

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Listen to opposition

Both the LDP and Komeito call for a drastic review of the child-rearing allowances and the settlement of the issue of how to secure state funds for basic pension benefits this fiscal year, as part of those funds have been diverted for reconstruction purposes in the first extra budget for fiscal 2011.
　自公両党は、子ども手当の抜本的な見直しと、第１次補正予算の財源に転用した基礎年金の国庫負担分の穴埋め問題を決着させることを求めている。

What the opposition parties are asserting is quite reasonable in the sense of holding down the deficit-covering special public bonds as much as possible.
　赤字国債の発行額をできるだけ抑制するという意味で、野党側の言い分はもっともだ。

To secure funds for reconstruction, the DPJ must retract nonessential policies contained in its manifesto.
　震災対策の財源を確保するために、民主党は、政権公約に盛られた不要不急の政策を撤回しなければならない。

A matter of particular urgency is relief for victims of the accidents at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, rather than "a bill concerning special measures on renewable energy sources," whose enactment Kan insists on. 　喫緊の課題は、首相が執着している「再生可能エネルギー特別措置法案」より、原発事故の被災者救援だ。

The legislators need to start deliberating a bill concerning a nuclear damage compensation support organization, to be created to pay compensation to victims.
被災者に賠償するための「原子力損害賠償支援機構法案」の審議に入る必要がある。

The LDP wants to modify the bill to clarify the responsibility of the central government, rather than merely holding Tokyo Electric Power Co., the operator of the crippled plant, responsible for the damages.
　自民党は、賠償責任を東京電力だけに押し付けるのではなく、国の責任も明確化するよう修正を求める構えだ。

Both ruling and opposition parties need to reach an agreement and try to get the bill passed into law.
与野党で合意点を見いだし、成立を図るべきだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 5, 2011)
（2011年7月5日01時19分 読売新聞）