自民総裁選告示 日本の針路に責任ある論戦を

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Sep. 17, 2012)
LDP presidential candidates should thoroughly debate issues
自民総裁選告示　日本の針路に責任ある論戦を（9月16日付・読売社説）

　◆原発・ＴＰＰから逃げるな◆

If the Liberal Democratic Party's goal is to regain power, the candidates seeking their party's leadership must reveal concrete measures on how to tackle the vital tasks facing the nation.
　政権奪還を目指すという以上、日本が直面する重要課題への具体的な処方箋を明らかにしなければならない。

The LDP presidential race kicked off Friday, with five members running for the leadership: former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe; former LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Shigeru Ishiba; former Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura; LDP Secretary General Nobuteru Ishihara; and Yoshimasa Hayashi, acting chairman of the Policy Research Council. Verbal clashes among the five are heating up ahead of the voting on Sept. 26.
　自民党総裁選が１４日、告示され、安倍晋三元首相、石破茂前政調会長、町村信孝元官房長官、石原伸晃幹事長、林芳正政調会長代理の５人が立候補した。２６日の投開票日に向け、論戦も本格化している。

If the LDP wins the next House of Representatives election, the new party president will likely become the prime minister. We are looking forward to scrutinizing the qualities of the candidates as well as their policies through the election race.
　次の衆院選で自民党が勝てば、新総裁は首相に就任する公算が大きい。総裁選を通じて候補の資質と政策を十分に吟味したい。

　◆「集団的自衛権」は評価◆

The public is watching the campaign to confirm whether the LDP is capable of holding the reins of government. To regain the public's trust of the party, all candidates must clarify how they would deal with issues that have split public opinion.
　総裁選では自民党の政権担当能力の有無も問われる。信頼を取り戻すためには、国論を二分する政策について明確に方向性を示す必要があろう。

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Show details on collective defense

All five candidates have pledged to amend the Constitution. Furthermore, they have stated in their election pledges that Japan should be allowed to exercise its right to collective self-defense. The five plan to establish a basic law on national security that will enable the nation to exercise this right. This is essential in order to restore the Japan-U.S. alliance after it was eroded during the administrations of Yukio Hatoyama and Naoto Kan.
　５氏とも、憲法改正だけではなく、集団的自衛権の行使容認を公約に掲げている。これを可能とする「国家安全保障基本法」制定も目指す。鳩山、菅両政権で揺らいだ日米同盟の立て直しには欠かせない。

We commend them on this issue.
　この点は評価したい。

However, when the LDP formed a coalition government with New Komeito, the party failed to get the ball rolling on allowing the nation to exercise its right to collective self-defense. The candidates must show specific steps to achieve this goal.
　ただ、集団的自衛権行使の容認は自公政権で手をつけられなかった課題である。実現に向けての具体的な手順を示す必要がある。

The present government recently set out a target of "zero nuclear power plants operating" in the 2030s. Machimura criticized this policy, saying it is "just an expression of hope without specific means to achieve it." The other four candidates have similar opinions on this issue.
　政府が２０３０年代の「原発稼働ゼロ」を目標に掲げたことに対して、町村氏は「単なる願望であり、具体的な道筋がない」と批判した。この点でも、５氏の足並みはそろっている。

We can never approve the government's slipshod decision of announcing its "zero nuclear power" policy without sorting out ways to secure viable alternatives to nuclear power.
　代替エネルギーのあてもないまま、原発ゼロを打ち出した政府・民主党の短慮は認められない。

What do the presidential candidates of the LDP--which had promoted nuclear power for so long during its administrations--think about the nation's future energy policy? If they say only that it is too early to draw a conclusion, they are evading the issue.
　では、原子力行政を長年推し進めてきた自民党は、今後のエネルギー政策について、どう考えているのか。現段階で結論を出せないと言うだけなら、議論から逃げていることになる。

On the issue of joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade framework, all candidates have stated they oppose joining TPP negotiations if the premise is to eliminate tariffs without any "sanctuaries." If so, the candidates should explain their conditions for joining the TPP and how they would go about joining it.
　環太平洋経済連携協定（ＴＰＰ）参加問題については、各氏とも「聖域なき関税撤廃を前提とした交渉参加には反対だ」と主張する。それなら、参加するための条件や道筋を語るべきだろう。

Hasn't the LDP emphasized expanding free trade in its growth strategy? The party should not turn its back to the TPP, which is essential to take advantage of economic growth in neighboring Asian nations.
　自民党はこれまで、自由貿易拡大による成長戦略を重視してきたはずだ。アジアの経済成長を取り込む上で欠かせないＴＰＰに背を向けてはならない。

We believe the candidates are considering the reactions of agricultural organizations such as agricultural cooperatives. However, under the existing circumstances, Japan's agriculture will only continue declining. The candidates must discuss measures to revive domestic agriculture so it can cope with further trade liberalization.
　農協など農業団体への配慮もあるのだろう。だが、農業はこのままでは地盤沈下が進むだけだ。貿易自由化に対応できるよう農業の再生策こそ議論すべきである。

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Diplomacy toward Beijing
　◆対中外交をどうする◆

On the diplomatic front, we want to hear what the aspirants for the top LDP post think about issues affecting Japan's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and how they would rebuild this country's diplomatic ties with China, South Korea and Russia.
　外交では、対中・韓・露外交を再構築するためにも、主権・領土の問題への対応を聞きたい。

The candidates have all agreed on the need to beef up Japan's control of the Senkaku Islands. The tricky part is what measures they would take to achieve this.
　尖閣諸島の実効支配を強化する方針では、各氏とも一致している。問題は具体策だ。

Ishihara said, "It's natural for this country to defend its sovereignty, but now is the time for us to keep a cool head."
　石原氏は「主権を守るのは当然だが、クールダウンすべきだ」と指摘した。

Anti-Japanese demonstrations have become increasingly boisterous in China. To urge the Chinese government to calm the situation, the government and the ruling and opposition camps should levelheadedly work as one.
中国国内では反日デモが激しさを増している。中国に事態の沈静化を求めるために、政府や与野党が一丸となって冷静に対処すべきだろう。

Another matter of high significance is which party or parties the LDP should link up with after the next lower house election.
　一方、衆院選後にどの党と連携するかも重要な問題である。

Whatever the outcome of the election, the LDP will still lack a majority in the House of Councillors, even when counting the seats held by New Komeito. This situation will continue until at least next summer's upper house election.
自民党は、衆院選の結果にかかわりなく、参院で公明党と合わせても過半数に及ばない。来夏の参院選までこの状態が続く。

The five candidates are all wary of the idea of forming a grand coalition with the Democratic Party of Japan. Instead, they favor cooperation with the DPJ on a policy-by-policy basis.
　５氏とも民主党との大連立に否定的で、政策ごとの合意を訴えた。

Abe, for his part, has hinted at a possible partnership with Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party), which is led by Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto.
安倍氏は橋下徹大阪市長が率いる「日本維新の会」との連携に含みを持たせている。

Some of Ishin no Kai's policies neatly fit those of the LDP, such as seeking revisions to the Constitution. However, many policy commitments of the party starkly contrast with those of the LDP, including the former's demand that the number of lower house seats be halved.
　維新の会の政策には、改憲など自民党と一致する点もあるが、衆院議員の定数半減など相いれない面も少なくない。

The LDP will need to consider these details carefully before forming any full-blooded political alliance.
政策本位で連携の是非を考えるべきだ。

Regarding comprehensive reform of social security and tax systems jointly undertaken by the DPJ, the LDP and Komeito, all the LDP candidates have committed to adhering with the three-party accord. This is a natural course of action.
　５氏とも、民主、自民、公明の３党で進めた社会保障・税一体改革について、合意を順守することを言明した。当然だろう。

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New Diet rules required
　◆国会のルールを見直せ◆

The DPJ-LDP-Komeito tripartite agreement must be kept intact. The three parties should jointly address such key tasks as working out how to lower the financial burdens low-income earners will face when the consumption tax rate is increased, and enhance efficiency in budget appropriations for ballooning social security expenditures.
　民自公路線は今後も堅持し、消費増税に伴う低所得者対策や膨張する社会保障費の効率化といった課題に取り組む必要がある。

Abe said the proposed consumption tax hike "could put a damper on the economy if it's implemented at the wrong time," indicating the possibility he would postpone the first stage of the tax raise in April 2014.
　ただ、安倍氏は消費税率引き上げに関し、「時期を間違えると経済の腰を折ってしまう」と述べ、２０１４年４月段階の増税先送りの可能性を示唆した。

Although due consideration should be paid to national economic conditions before the tax increase, the importance of reconstructing the deficit-ridden government finances--a problem left alone for too long--should never be taken lightly.
　増税前に経済状況を考慮することは必要だが、長年の懸案である財政再建を軽視することがあってはならない。

Ishiba said the government-sponsored bill for enabling the issuance of deficit-covering bonds "shouldn't be used as a tool in a power struggle" between the parties. We agree entirely.
　赤字国債発行を可能とする特例公債法案について、石破氏は「政争の具に使うべきではない」と提案した。もっともである。

This bill must not be used as a bargaining chip by the LDP as it pushes for the early dissolution of the lower house for a general election.
衆院解散・総選挙を求める駆け引きに使うべきではない。

In the divided Diet, where the opposition holds a majority in the upper house while the ruling bloc controls the lower house, what can be done so this nation has "politics capable of making decisions"?
　衆参ねじれ国会の下で、「決められる政治」をどう実現していくのか。

Deeper discussions should be held about how to formulate new rules for running Diet affairs.
新たな国会のルールづくりの論議も深めてもらいたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 16, 2012)
（2012年9月16日01時15分 読売新聞）