ダブル党首選―一体改革を忘れるな

--The Asahi Shimbun, Sept. 8
EDITORIAL: Party elections must not undermine commitment to reform
ダブル党首選―一体改革を忘れるな

The Diet session has effectively ended, and the ruling Democratic Party of Japan and the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party have started gearing up for their respective leadership elections.
　国会が事実上閉幕し、民主、自民の両党首選が本格的に動き出した。

Within the DPJ, Environment Minister Goshi Hosono has decided against running in the party presidential election, while Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, former internal affairs minister Kazuhiro Haraguchi and former farm minister Hirotaka Akamatsu have announced their candidacies.
　民主党では、細野環境相が立候補を見送り、野田首相と原口元総務相、赤松元農林水産相が名乗りを上げた。

In the LDP, President Sadakazu Tanigaki and Nobutaka Machimura, former chief Cabinet secretary, have expressed their intention to run. Nobuteru Ishihara, party secretary-general, Shigeru Ishiba, former party policy chief, and former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are also showing an interest in joining the contest.
　一方、自民党では谷垣総裁と町村元官房長官が立候補の意向を表明した。石原幹事長や石破前政調会長、安倍元首相、林元防衛相も意欲を示している。

The related moves that have been made so far within these two main parties have shown troubling signs that each leadership race is shaping up to be a popularity contest to choose each party's "poster boy" for the upcoming Lower House election.
　これまでの両党の動きをみると、遠からず行われる総選挙に向けた「選挙の顔」えらびの側面ばかりが目につく。

That's not good news for the nation.
　だが、それでは困るのだ。

One of the two new party heads is likely to lead this nation as prime minister after the Lower House poll. The candidates should make clear their political creeds and policy agendas to make sure that the party elections will be contests over qualifications as party leader.
　今回選ばれる両党首のいずれかが、総選挙後の首相として日本のかじ取りを担う可能性が高い。各候補は理念と政策を明確に掲げ、指導者としての資質を競う機会としてもらいたい。

What the candidates should do first is to make a public commitment to follow through with the deal on integrated tax and social security reform struck among the DPJ, the LDP and New Komeito.
　まず求めたいのは、民主、自民、公明の３党で合意した、社会保障と税の一体改革を引き継ぐことを明確にすることだ。

Since the enactment of legislation for the integrated reform, relations between the two main parties have become strained, partly because of the passage of a censure motion against Noda through the Upper House, with the support of the LDP.
　一体改革関連法の成立後、首相への問責決議の可決などで２大政党の関係は再びきしんでいる。

There is no prospect for the establishment of a new council for social security reform, which, under the agreement among the three parties, is supposed to develop a blueprint for the reform within one year.
１年以内に結論を出すとした、社会保障国民会議の設置もめどが立たない状態だ。

Details of the integrated reform have yet to be worked out, and many key issues remain to be tackled. How should the health-care and pension programs be bolstered, and how should policy efforts to support child care be expanded as the aging of the nation's population continues toward peak levels?
　一体改革の肉付けはこれからだ。高齢化のピークに向けて医療や年金制度をどう強化し、子育て支援策をどう充実するか。

The remaining tasks also include developing measures to ease the regressive taxation effects of the scheduled consumption tax hike and to enhance the income and inheritance taxes.
また、消費増税にともなう逆進性の緩和や、所得税や相続税の強化も積み残されている。

The agreement among the three parties has committed them to shield the social security system from partisan warfare and to work together to secure the long-term financial stability of the system even if power changes hands. That's the long and short of the deal.
　政権が代わっても、少なくとも社会保障制度は政争の具にせず、安定的に運営できる態勢を民自公３党を中心につくる。それこそが一体改革の眼目だったはずである。

This is a formal agreement among political parties. Breaching it would be tantamount to betraying the public, who are facing an increased tax burden due to the consumption tax raise.
　政党間の正式な約束だ。それを反故（ほご）にするようなことになれば、消費増税で負担増となる国民への裏切りにも等しい。

Some politicians within the LDP, including Abe, are apparently maneuvering for a policy alliance with Osaka Ishin no Kai, a local party headed by Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto that is planning to field candidates in the upcoming election, rather than with the DPJ.
　ところが、自民党では安倍元首相のように民主党ではなく、大阪維新の会との連携を模索する動きもある。

Osaka Ishin no Kai has proposed transferring the consumption tax revenue to local governments. If the LDP chooses the Hashimoto group over the DPJ, the three-party deal on the integrated reform could fall apart.
　その維新の会は「消費税の地方税化」を掲げる。もし自民党が維新の会との連携を優先するなら、民自公の一体改革は空中分解しかねない。

If that happens, the question will be what kind of political framework should be formed to establish a stable and sustainable social security system. The candidates have the political responsibility to offer clear and convincing answers to this question.
　その場合、安定的な社会保障制度をどんな政治の枠組みでつくっていくのか。説得力ある方針を示す責任がある。

There is also a long list of other policy challenges confronting this nation. Japan clearly needs to work out a new energy policy by settling the issue of restarting idled nuclear reactors, further liberalize its trade with key trade partners and repair its soured relations with its neighbors.
　原発再稼働を含むエネルギー政策、貿易自由化、近隣外交のあり方など、課題は山積している。

Serious disagreements on these issues within both the DPJ and the LDP are hampering the efforts to deal with these challenges.
しかも、それぞれで両党とも党内の意見が割れている。

The two parties should regard their leadership elections as a good opportunity to clarify their platforms and renew their commitments to key policy proposals for their campaigns for the general election.
　この党首選を、総選挙に向けて政策の方向性を整理し、公約を固め直す絶好のチャンスととらえてはどうか。