自民党総裁選 「野党ぼけ」の克服が急務だ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Sep. 13, 2012)
LDP must quickly recover from 'opposition slumber'
自民党総裁選　「野党ぼけ」の克服が急務だ（9月12日付・読売社説）

What will the Liberal Democratic Party aim to do if it recaptures power, and how will it achieve these objectives?
　政権を奪還した後に自民党は何をどう実現するのか。

We urge the candidates in the party's presidential election to explain their views and policy stances, given that they aspire to grab the reins of this nation.
日本のかじ取りを目指す以上、見識や政策で競い合うべきだ。

LDP Secretary General Nobuteru Ishihara has announced he will run in the party race. Former Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura and former LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Shigeru Ishiba have already declared their candidacies. Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and LDP Policy Research Council Acting Chairman Yoshimasa Hayashi also expressed their intention to throw their hats in the ring.
　自民党総裁選に、石原幹事長が出馬を表明した。町村信孝元官房長官、石破茂前政調会長が既に表明し、安倍元首相、林芳正政調会長代理も意欲を示す。

The LDP race will choose who might become the prime minister, depending on the outcome of the next House of Representatives election. It is only natural that the race is heating up.
　次期衆院選の結果次第では、首相になる可能性が高い総裁の選出だ。白熱するのも当然である。

However, we consider it problematic that LDP members are preoccupied with jockeying for position among party factions and figuring out how many party lawmakers support each candidate.
　だが、派閥や国会議員間の数合わせの動きばかりが先行しているのはどうしたことか。

Current LDP President Sadakazu Tanigaki piled so much pressure on the two previous prime ministers of the Democratic Party of Japan--Yukio Hatoyama and Naoto Kan--that they stepped down. The LDP won the previous House of Councillors election, a result that created a divided Diet in which the opposition controls the upper house.
　谷垣総裁は鳩山、菅両首相を退陣に追い込み、先の参院選で勝利してねじれ国会をもたらした。

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Tanigaki frozen out

It was commendable that Tanigaki, as leader of the largest opposition party, joined hands with the DPJ to pass bills on integrated reform of the social security and tax systems, the main pillar of which is a consumption tax rate increase.
　野党第１党の党首として民主党に協力し、消費税率の引き上げを柱とする社会保障・税一体改革関連法を成立させたことは画期的だった。

In the latest Yomiuri Shimbun opinion survey, 21 percent of respondents--the biggest proportion--said they planned to vote for the LDP in the proportional representation segment of the next lower house election.
最新の読売新聞の世論調査では、次期衆院選の比例選投票先で、自民党は２１％でトップだ。

Nevertheless, Tanigaki was considered to be lacking something as the party's face for the coming election, and thus decided he had no option but to stay out of the party race. He must feel desperately disappointed to have come this close to guiding the party to its long-sought goal of returning to power.
　それでも、「選挙の顔」に物足りないと評価され、総裁選出馬断念に追い込まれた。念願の政権復帰に手が届く状況にまで来て、さぞかし無念だっただろう。

Tanigaki's fall was in part due to his failure to hammer out policies representative of the LDP, other than the integrated reform. He was unable to attract wide support.
　背景には、一体改革以外に自民党らしい政策を打ち出せず、支持に広がりを欠いたことがある。

Tanigaki became increasingly isolated when senior LDP figures such as former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and Makoto Koga, who heads a party faction, turned their back on him over his handling of party affairs.
　谷垣氏は、党運営を巡って、森元首相や古賀派の古賀誠会長らの不興を買い、外堀を埋められた。

Tanigaki led the LDP to support a recent censure motion submitted by several opposition parties against Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda--a motion that also criticized the LDP for approving the consumption tax rate increase. The party was accused of "self-condemnation."
消費増税を実現した自民党をも批判する首相問責決議に対し、自民党が賛成することを主導して「自己否定」との批判も浴びた。

The LDP's policy goals and vision for after it returns to power will be scrutinized afresh during the presidential race. Party members should be well aware that revival of the party, which Tanigaki aimed for, has only been half completed.
　総裁選では、自民党の政権構想や政策が改めて問われよう。谷垣氏が目指した「党再生」は、道半ばであることを自覚すべきだ。

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Take stand on nuclear power

Ishihara said his "mission is to realize policy measures and courses" the party promoted under Tanigaki's leadership. It would be disconcerting if the party, after a change in leadership, forgets about implementing the integrated reform in line with the accord it reached with the DPJ and New Komeito.
　石原氏は、谷垣氏の下で進めてきた「政策、路線の実現が使命」と述べた。総裁が代わっても民自公路線による一体改革の実現を忘れてもらっては困る。

The LDP for many years steered an administration that was pro-nuclear energy. Is it right for the party to stand idly by while the DPJ has set out a "zero nuclear power" policy direction? We urge the LDP to propose realistic energy policies.
　自民党は長年、原子力行政を推進してきたのに、「原発ゼロ」の方向を提言した民主党を傍観していいのか。現実的なエネルギー政策を提案してもらいたい。

The LDP is irresponsible for opposing the nation's possible participation in negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade framework if abolishing tariffs "without sanctuary" is a precondition. The party should also debate the matter from the viewpoint of a growth strategy through expanded free trade.
　自民党が、環太平洋経済連携協定（ＴＰＰ）について「聖域なき関税撤廃を前提にする交渉参加は反対」とするのは無責任だ。自由貿易拡大による成長戦略の観点からも是非を論ずべきだろう。

Rebuilding diplomatic relations with China, South Korea and Russia, and the deployment of the U.S. Marine Corps' new Osprey transport aircraft also are pressing issues that need to be addressed.
　対中・韓・露外交の立て直しや米海兵隊の新型輸送機オスプレイ配備も差し迫った課題だ。

Considering these issues after it takes power will be too late. During the LDP election, the party urgently needs to awaken from its "opposition slumber" in which it devoted itself only to lobbing criticism around and failed to make its own decisions.
　政権に就いてから考えるのでは遅すぎる。総裁選を通じ、批判するだけで自らは判断しない“野党ぼけ”の克服が急務である。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 12, 2012)
（2012年9月12日01時50分 読売新聞）