安倍政権２年目 数に傲らず幅広い合意形成を

The Yomiuri Shimbun January 4, 2014
Ruling coalition should build wide consensus with opposition parties
安倍政権２年目　数に傲らず幅広い合意形成を（1月4日付・読売社説）

　◆野党再編はどこまで進むか

The administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appears determined to make all-out efforts to revitalize the Japanese economy and resolve long-pending issues such as the right to collective self-defense.
　安倍政権は、日本経済再生に向けて全力を挙げるとともに、集団的自衛権の問題など長年の懸案解決にも挑む構えだ。

To make effective use of limited time, it is imperative that the Abe administration devise a well-prepared strategy to implement measures and manage the government in a humble manner to avoid unnecessary criticism.
　限られた時間をいかに効果的に使うか。それには、政策実現への周到な戦略とともに、無用な反発を招かぬ謙虚な政権運営が欠かせない。

The second Abe administration has made it this far without collapsing apparently because of a well-functioning “Team Abe,” comprising Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, in whom Abe has deep trust, as well as Finance Minister Taro Aso, who doubles as deputy prime minister, and Akira Amari, minister in charge of economic revitalization, both Abe’s political allies.
　第２次安倍政権が、破綻なく政権を運営してきたのは、安倍首相の信頼が厚い菅官房長官、盟友の麻生副総理・財務相、甘利経済再生相ら「チーム安倍」が、しっかり機能していたからだろう。

Coordination key
　◆自公の調整を入念に

It is also worth mentioning that members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, such as Secretary General Shigeru Ishiba, have provided significant support to the government. Close cooperation with the ruling coalition helped the government decide to join negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement and win the Okinawa prefectural government’s approval of the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma Air Station.
　石破幹事長ら自民党側が政府を支えたことも見逃せない。環太平洋経済連携協定（ＴＰＰ）交渉参加への決断や、沖縄県の米軍普天間飛行場移設問題では、政府と与党の協力が奏功したと言える。

New Komeito, the LDP’s junior coalition partner, has also played a significant role.
　自民党と連立を組む公明党の役割も小さくはなかった。

During the last extraordinary Diet session, a bill to protect specially designated state secrets was revised with consideration given to the public’s right to know and freedom of the press after Komeito called for such consideration. Without this revision, Diet deliberations on the bill could have been even more difficult.
　先の臨時国会では、特定秘密保護法案の調整過程で、公明党の主張によって「知る権利」「報道・取材の自由」への配慮が法案に盛り込まれた。この修正がなければ、国会審議はもっと難航しただろう。

Komeito also strongly sought the introduction of a reduced tax rate system on daily necessities and other items to ease the impact of the upcoming consumption tax rate increase. The LDP and Komeito then reached an agreement to introduce such a system “when the consumption tax is 10 percent.” We applaud Komeito for this contribution.
　生活必需品などの消費税を低く抑える軽減税率の導入に関しても、公明党が強く求め、「税率１０％時」に導入することで決着した。これについても高く評価したい。

However, the LDP and Komeito do not necessarily take the same stance on issues like amending the Constitution and nuclear policy. Abe and Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi have been deeply divided over issues related to politicians’ visits to Yasukuni Shrine and the interpretations of history, such as a 1993 statement on so-called comfort women during World War II issued by then Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono, as well as a review of the government’s constitutional interpretation aimed at allowing the nation to exercise the right to collective self-defense.
　ただし、自公両党は、憲法改正や原発政策などで必ずしも一致しているわけではない。安倍首相と公明党の山口代表は、靖国神社参拝や、河野談話など歴史認識問題、集団的自衛権の憲法解釈見直しについて隔たりが大きい。

The more Abe attempts to push his pet policies, the more strongly Komeito will oppose and resist them. How the two parties deal with such challenges will bear directly on the stability of national politics.
　首相が「安倍カラー」の強い政策を進めようとすればするほど、公明党は反発、抵抗する。自公両党がそれをどう乗り越えるかが、政治の安定度にも直結しよう。

Regarding the Jan. 19 mayoral election in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, Komeito’s Okinawa chapter has yet to decide whether it will support a conservative candidate who would give the green light to the government’s plan on the Futenma relocation. The issue will serve as a test of whether the LDP and Komeito can coordinate their views.
　１月１９日投票の沖縄・名護市長選で、公明党の沖縄県本部は、米軍普天間飛行場移設容認の保守系候補を推すかどうかまだ態度を決めていない。ここでも自公協力の真価が試される。

The ruling coalition must build a consensus with the opposition camp without relying on its dominant number of Diet seats.
　与党は、議席の数に傲(おご)らず、野党との合意形成を丁寧に進めていかねばならない。

Above all, social security and national security systems should not be too transformed no matter what party takes office. The next election is as much as 2.5 years away. The ruling and opposition parties should take this as an opportunity to tackle these issues in earnest.
　とくに社会保障や安全保障政策は、どの党が政権を担っても、そのたびに制度を大きく変更するわけにはいかない。次の国政選挙まで最大２年半あるこの好機に、与野党とも腰を据えて取り組むべき課題である。

Partial coalition must be sought
　◆追求すべき「部分連合」

The LDP, Komeito and the Democratic Party of Japan have established a working-level conference on social security policies. We urge them to use this forum to deepen their discussions.
　社会保障政策は自民、公明、民主の３党が実務者会議を設けている。ここでの議論を深めたい。

In the security field, a step forward was marked when the bill to establish a Japanese version of the U.S. National Security Council cleared the extraordinary Diet session in late November with the approval of the DPJ, Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) and Your Party, as well as the LDP and Komeito.
　安全保障の分野では、先の臨時国会で、国家安全保障会議（日本版ＮＳＣ）設置法が民主党と日本維新の会、みんなの党も賛成して成立したことは前進だった。

Regarding the bill to protect specially designated states secrets, Ishin no Kai and Your Party accepted the modifications to the bill but boycotted voting in the plenary session of the House of Councillors, in a show of criticism of the ruling parties over their management of Diet business.
　特定秘密保護法では、維新、みんな両党は法案修正に応じながら、与党の国会運営を批判して参院本会議の採決時に退席した。

The ruling coalition must rebuild its relationship with Ishin no Kai and Your Party.
　与党は、維新、みんなとの関係を再構築しなければならない。

Ishin no Kai coleader Shintaro Ishihara has expressed his intention to cooperate with Abe in dealing with such issues as constitutional revision.
　維新の石原共同代表はかねて、憲法改正などのテーマで首相に協力する意向を示している。

Meanwhile, Your Party leader Yoshimi Watanabe has proposed what he called a regular “strategic dialogue” with Abe on such key issues as deregulation and reviewing the constitutional interpretation of the nation’s collective self-defense right.
　みんなの党の渡辺代表も、首相に対し、規制改革や集団的自衛権の憲法解釈見直しなど、重要政策を定期的に協議する「戦略的対話」を呼び掛けている。

How will the government and ruling parties form a partial coalition with Ishin no Kai and Your Party? The answer could affect the future course of parliamentary and electoral system reforms.
　政府・与党が維新、みんな両党とどう部分連合を形成していくか。それが、国会改革や選挙制度改革の行方にも影響しよう。

DPJ in need of reform
　◆民主も党改革が必要だ

The DPJ’s handling of parliamentary matters gives us the impression the party has returned to its former role as a resistant opposition party, despite its experience of serving as a ruling party. It has yet to form a joint struggle with other opposition parties.
　民主党は政権与党を経験したにもかかわらず、抵抗野党に立ち返ったような国会対応が目立つ。野党共闘も実現できていない。

In the aftermath of the upper house election in July, DPJ members, particularly those who lost elections, have defected from the party one after another for such reasons as discontent with the party leadership. This undeniably indicates that Banri Kaieda’s leadership as party president has been waning.
　参院選後、党執行部への不満などから、落選議員を中心に離党が相次いでいる。海江田代表の求心力の低下は否めない。

To regain voters’ confidence, Kaieda needs to form an intraparty consensus on basic policies on the Constitution and national security and strengthen the party’s local organizations. He is urged to demonstrate his leadership in reconstructing his party.
　有権者の信頼を取り戻すには憲法、安全保障など基本政策で党内をまとめ、地方組織を強化する必要がある。海江田代表は党再建に指導力を発揮してもらいたい。

The DPJ must hold discussions this year with other opposition parties on campaign strategies for unified local elections set for the spring of 2015. Such talks will lead to prompting moves for a realignment of opposition parties.
　２０１５年春の統一地方選をどう戦うか。選挙協力についても、他の党と今年中に議論しなければなるまい。それが、野党再編の引き金を引く可能性もあろう。

It has also become a focus of attention whether the Yui no To party, led by Kenji Eda, a defector from Your Party, will be able to work closely with some members of the DPJ and Ishin no Kai.
　みんなの党とたもとを分かった江田憲司氏率いる結いの党が、民主党の一部や維新の会と勢力を結集できるかどうかも焦点だ。

Eda has formed a suprapartisan study group with Goshi Hosono, a former secretary general of the DPJ, and Yorihisa Matsuno, secretary general of Ishin no Kai’s group of Diet members. To what extent can the study group’s members firmly unite on policies and ideals?
　江田氏や、民主党の細野豪志前幹事長、維新の松野頼久国会議員団幹事長は、超党派の勉強会を結成した。政策・理念でどこまで一致団結できるだろうか。

We would like to see a unified opposition party that is capable of presenting constructive policies without taking a stance of always criticizing the government.
　政府への批判一辺倒ではなく、建設的な政策立案能力のある野党勢力の結集を望みたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan. 4, 2014)
（2014年1月4日01時40分  読売新聞）