自民党へ―政策で勝負するときだ

2011/09/03
--The Asahi Shimbun, Sept. 2
EDITORIAL: LDP should stop being so pathetic
自民党へ―政策で勝負するときだ

New Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda met with Liberal Democratic Party President Sadakazu Tanigaki and New Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi on Sept. 1 to seek their cooperation.
　野田新首相がきのう、自民党の谷垣総裁、公明党の山口代表と会談し、協力を求めた。

The meetings attracted attention for how the opposition parties, in particular the LDP, would respond, but their reactions were very dry.
　野党とくに自民党はどう対応するのかと注目したが、なんとも素っ気なかった。

The LDP denies the "legitimacy" of the third prime minister of the DPJ administration.
　自民党は民主党３人目の首相の「正統性」を否定する。

That is why Tanigaki reiterated that the LDP would continue to cooperate until the third extra budget is passed the Diet and that after that, the Lower House should be dissolved as soon as possible for a snap election.
だから谷垣氏はこれまで通り、第３次補正予算までは協力するが、その後は一刻も早く解散・総選挙をせよと応じた。

But we are afraid that that is not the right thing to do.
　だが、どうだろう。

The crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant has not been brought under control.
原発事故はまだ収束していない。

Efforts to recover and rebuild from the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami have yet to get on track.
復旧・復興事業も軌道に乗ったとは言えない。

Many stricken areas are still putting off local elections that had been scheduled for this spring.
地方選を延期し続けている被災地も多い。

We believe the ruling and opposition parties should continue to work together in compiling the budget for fiscal 2012 and accelerating rebuilding efforts.
　ここは来年度予算編成でも与野党で共同歩調をとり、震災対応にあたるときではないか。

Looking back to the time the opposition submitted a no-confidence motion against the Cabinet of Prime Minister Naoto Kan in the Lower House in June, Tanigaki did say: "(If Kan) resigns, there will be plenty of areas where we can join hands and transcend differences between parties."
　振り返れば、６月の不信任案提出時に、谷垣氏は「（菅首相が）辞めれば、党派を超えて団結するのはいくらでもできる」と述べていたではないか。

The LDP should ponder why its public approval ratings remain low despite the fact that voters are finding the DPJ administration deeply disappointing.
　自民党は、有権者が民主党政権に愛想を尽かしている割に、自分たちの支持率が伸びない理由を真剣に考えるべきだ。

Take, for example, the tripartite agreement between the DPJ, LDP and New Komeito in August.
　たとえば、８月の民自公３党合意だ。

The agreement to pass special legislation allowing the issuance of deficit-covering bonds in exchange for a review of the child-allowance and other DPJ pet projects represented a setback for the ruling party and an end to the Kan Cabinet.
子ども手当などを見直す代わりに、赤字国債発行を認める法律を成立させる合意は、民主党に看板政策を見直させ、菅内閣に引導を渡すもので、

The LDP could have scored a major points.
自民党の得点だったはずだ。

However, the LDP's tactic to use the legislation to issue deficit-covering bonds as leverage failed to win over public opinion.
　しかし、赤字国債の発行を人質にとる手法に、世論の共感は広がらなかった。

This is because everybody is aware that past LDP administrations are the ones responsible for the nation's situation in which the government cannot compile a budget without borrowing a huge amount of money.
巨額の借金なしに予算を組めない財政にしたのは自民党政権だと、だれもが知っているからだ。

Having gone out of power, the LDP has been re-examining its policy platform and increased the number of applicants from the general public to run as LDP candidates.
　下野した自民党は綱領を見直したり、候補者公募を増やしたりしてきた。

But it has yet to fully sum up the misgovernment that led to the government's reliance on debts and public anxiety about public pension programs.
And it has yet to present solutions to these problems.
けれど、借金体質や社会保障不安を招いた失政の総括と、その打開策を示したとは言い難い。

Even if a Lower House election is held this year, the LDP would be seen as pathetic if its greatest weapon is criticism of the DPJ's policies.
年内に総選挙をしても、最大の武器が民主党批判なら、あまりにさびしい。

Moreover, what are LDP's stances on tax hikes, nuclear policy and the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement?
　さらに言えば、増税問題や原子力政策、ＴＰＰ（環太平洋経済連携協定）について、党の見解はどうなのか。

Although the DPJ's intraparty strife tends to draw more public attention, the LDP, too, has similar problems.
いまは民主党の党内対立ばかりが目立っているが、自民党も似たような事情を抱えているではないか。

Both the DPJ and LDP are unable to agree on uniform policies to chart Japan's future course within their own parties, so to speak.
　いわば、民主党も自民党も国の将来像を描く政策で党内が一致できないのだ。

If a Lower House election is called under such circumstances, voters would be at a loss over which party to support.
これで総選挙をされても有権者は戸惑う。

Thanks to the new administration's efforts to unite the DPJ, it seems unlikely that a no-confidence motion against the Cabinet would be passed any time soon.
　民主党の党内融和で、しばらく内閣不信任案は通りそうにない。

At the same time, unless the opposition agrees, bills cannot be passed in the Diet.
同時に国会は、野党が賛成しなければ法案が通らない。

The LDP is urged to fully engage in policy formation, taking advantage of the situation.
自民党はこの状況を生かして、政策形成に積極的にかかわるべきだ。

It should propose revisions to government-sponsored bills and submit its own legislation.
どんどん修正案を突きつけ、独自の法案も出せばいい。

Only after the LDP appeals itself as a party that made a fresh start can it open a new chapter in its history.
　その上で、新生自民党をアピールして初めて、党の展望が開けるはずだ。