陸山会の資金―「挙党」で疑惑を隠すな

2011/09/30
--The Asahi Shimbun, Sept. 29
EDITORIAL: Noda must get Ozawa to speak to Diet about role in scandal.
陸山会の資金―「挙党」で疑惑を隠すな

In its manifesto for the 2009 Lower House election, which led to historic regime change, the Democratic Party of Japan pledged to ban political donations by companies and other organizations.
　民主党は、政権交代を果たした２年前の総選挙のマニフェストに「企業・団体献金禁止」を掲げていた。

But the ruling party has yet to follow through on this promise.
だが、そのための法案はちっとも出さない。

Because of this, the party's weak-kneed response to the recent court ruling for the aides of former DPJ chief Ichiro Ozawa over a scandal involving his political funds management organization is all the more intolerable.
　だから、なおさら小沢一郎元代表の資金管理団体・陸山会をめぐる有罪判決への腰が引けた態度は許し難い。

The DPJ's attitude has served only to heighten public disillusionment with the party.
民主党への失望感を倍加させる。

Now that all three former Ozawa aides indicted over the political funds scandal have been convicted, the opposition parties have good reason to demand that Ozawa be summoned to testify before the Diet to answer the allegations against him.
　３人の元秘書に有罪判決が出た以上、野党が小沢氏の証人喚問を求めるのは当然である。

But Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has refused to take action. He has repeatedly said it must be left up to individual politicians to decide how best to respond if they are embroiled in scandal.
　だが、野田首相は「政治家の出処進退は本人が判断する。

Noda also said the issue of Ozawa's Diet testimony should be debated on the Diet floor.
証人喚問は国会で議論いただく。

He has declined to make any comment on the ruling.
司法の判断へのコメントは差し控えたい」と繰り返す。

Noda's remarks are familiar refrains, often used by the Liberal Democratic Party when it was in power to avoid getting entangled when problematic situations arose.
自民党政権と何も変わらない「言い逃れ原則論」を並べるだけだ。

Noda, explaining his reason for not taking action, cited the fact that Ozawa's own trial will soon start.
　さらに、小沢氏の刑事裁判が近いことを理由に挙げているのも、

That suggests he confuses the issue of criminal liability, which should be determined in court, with the political responsibility a Diet member is expected to bear.
法廷で問われる刑事責任と、国会議員が果たすべき政治責任を、混同しているとしか思えない。

All these excuses are simply unacceptable, given that two and a half years have passed since the first Ozawa aide was arrested. In all this time, the party has failed to make Ozawa give his side of the story.
　秘書が逮捕されてから２年半あまり、ずうっと国会での説明を拒み続けてきておいて、この言い分は通じない。

It said Ozawa's office wielded a decisive influence in picking a winning contractor, through bid-rigging, for public works projects.
　公共事業の談合で「天の声」を出した。

The Ozawa camp also collected political donations from contractors hoping to win public works contracts, according to the ruling.
受注希望のゼネコンから献金を集めていた……。

The ruling pointed out various aspects of the case that raise serious legal and moral questions about Ozawa's role in the scandal.
　判決が指摘した数々の問題は、

These facts have serious implications since they indicate that Ozawa's political funding activities undermined the fairness of politics and the government.
政治と行政の公正をゆがめるもので、重大である。

It is questionable that Ozawa's aides could have done these things without the say-so of their boss and his huge political power.
小沢氏の政治力なしに、秘書が勝手にできることなのか。

Noda should demand in no uncertain terms that Ozawa answer questions about the scandal before the Diet.
　首相は小沢氏にきっぱりと国会での説明を求めるべきだ。

Otherwise, Noda will inevitably face the sarcastic charge that he has been trying to build unity within the party only to sweep these problems under the carpet.
　さもなければ、首相が築いた「挙党態勢」は、実は「疑惑隠し」のためだったのか、と皮肉られても仕方あるまい。

Following the court ruling, LDP President Sadakazu Tanigaki said, "I can't remember a single politician who didn't take responsibility after his three aides had been found guilty."
　「秘書３人が有罪となり、責任をとらなかった政治家を思い出せない」。

His criticism of Ozawa's attitude has found resonance among Japanese voters.
自民党の谷垣禎一総裁の発言に、多くの人々がうなずいている。

The opposition camp is certain to ratchet up its attack on the government and the DPJ, and the prospects for proposed bipartisan policy talks could become bleaker.
　野党の攻勢は強まり、与野党協議の行方も怪しくなりかねない。

If this leads to fresh legislative gridlock that blocks the Noda administration from pursuing its policy agenda, the party unity he has been seeking to secure will be meaningless.
それで政策を遂行できなくなるのなら、せっかくつくった「挙党」の意味がない。

It is distressing to see the Diet debating this issue when it should be devoting all its energy to dealing with the consequences of the Great East Japan Earthquake in March and the nuclear disaster it triggered.
　大震災や原発事故への対応に総力を注ぐべき時に、こんな問題を国会で取り上げていること自体が情けない。

To put it bluntly, the DPJ is slacking off.
民主党は「たるんでいる」の一言に尽きる。

Yet, we urge the opposition parties to act in a cool-headed and reasonable manner.
　一方で野党には、冷静かつ理性的な対応を求める。

They should be allowed to question the government about the Ozawa scandal.
　小沢氏の問題を追及するのはいい。

But they should not allow the political process to go astray again by focusing on the issue of the role of money in politics.
だが、「政治とカネ」を理由に、政治をまたも迷走させてはならない。

We hope the opposition parties will not cause any serious delay in Diet debate.
This is with regard to the proposed third supplementary budget to finance measures for reconstruction but also other key policy challenges like revitalization of the economy and integrated tax and social security reform.
震災対応の第３次補正予算案だけでなく、経済対策や社会保障と税の一体改革も滞らせないでほしい。

As they try to hold Ozawa accountable for the scandal, they should also pursue meaningful Diet debate on efforts to solve the mountain of challenges facing the nation instead of shooting for early dissolution of the Lower House for a snap election.
　追及の先に目指すべきは衆院解散ではなく、山積する課題を解決していく国会論戦でなければならない。