英字新聞

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Apr. 2, 2010)

Party heads shouldn't evade issues in debates
党首討論　真正面から懸案を論じ合え（4月1日付・読売社説）

Diet debates between Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and major opposition party leaders, the second of their kind during

the current Diet session, were held Wednesday.
　鳩山首相と谷垣自民党総裁、山口公明党代表による今国会２回目の党首討論が行われた。

Sadakazu Tanigaki, president of the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party who was criticized for failing to land a telling

punch during the previous debate, went on the offensive against Hatoyama over the issue of relocating the U.S. Marine

Corps' Futenma Air Station in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture.
　前回の討論で迫力不足と批判された谷垣総裁は米軍普天間飛行場移設問題で、攻撃姿勢をみせた。

Tanigaki told Hatoyama that he should step down or seek a public mandate by dissolving the House of Representatives for

a general election if he failed to resolve the relocation issue by the end of May, a deadline the prime minister has set.
首相が約束している５月末までの決着が果たせなかった場合は、退陣するか衆院を解散するよう迫った。

In his response, Hatoyama said: "I'll stake my life [on resolving the relocation issue] and will not fail. Please trust the

government." As these verbal exchanges indicate, the debate between these two leaders turned out to be held in an

atmosphere more tense than the previous one.
　首相は、「命がけで行動し、必ず成果を上げる。政府を信頼してほしい」と応じるなど、前回よりは緊張感のある討論となった。

During the latter half of the current Diet session, this kind of debate should be held more often, particularly on issues that

may affect the very foundations of the nation, such as diplomacy, taxation and national finances.
　後半国会では、党首討論を頻繁に開き、外交、税財政など国の根幹にかかわる問題について論戦を深めるべきだ。

===

Futenma issue up in air

In criticizing Hatoyama on the Futenma relocation issue, Tanigaki said the government had yet to come up with a unified

alternative proposal after turning down the existing plan reached during the administration of the LDP-led coalition

government, which had won the understanding of the U.S. government and people of Okinawa Prefecture, and then stirring

up expectations among the prefecture's residents that their burden of hosting U.S. bases would be eased.
　谷垣総裁は、普天間問題について、米国と地元双方の理解を得ていた現行案を否定して沖縄の期待をあおり立てた揚げ句、

政府案がいまだ一本化されていない現状を批判した。

Hatoyama refuted this by saying he already had his own plan in mind, which he said "is as effective as the existing one or

even more effective [in maintaining the U.S. deterrence and in easing Okinawa Prefecture's burdens]."
　首相は「腹案はすでにある」と反論し、「現行案と同等かそれ以上の成果が上がる」と強調した。

Yet he offered nothing concrete and was far from convincing as he only expressed his determination to conclude the issue

as early as possible.
だが、早期決着の決意を示すだけで、具体性や説得力を欠いた。

With regard to the falsification of the political funds report of Hatoyama's fund management organization by his former

state-funded secretary, Tanigaki called on the prime minister to fulfill his responsibility by explaining the case, as

deliberations in the trial have ended.
　元秘書による偽装献金事件では谷垣総裁が、元秘書の裁判が結審したことをとらえ、首相が説明責任を果たすよう求めた。

Hatoyama responded to this by saying, "I will meet the expectations of the public by working hard." What the public is

seeking is the truth. The fact that he continues to make such evasions on the ground that the case is still pending in court

is unpardonable.
　首相は「身を粉にして国民の期待に応える」と述べたが、国民が求めているのは真相の解明だ。裁判中を口実に説明責任を回

避し続けることは許されない。

New Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi also took a more confrontational stance toward the Hatoyama administration. This

was in stark contrast to the previous round of debate when he only proposed the establishment of an organ on the political

fund issue that could be used by the ruling and opposition parties for consultation.
　山口代表も、政治資金問題に関する与野党協議機関の設置を提案した前回とは打って変わり、政権に対する対決姿勢を前面

に打ち出した。

===

Cabinet in disarray

While citing examples of disarray within the Cabinet over such issues as the postal reform bill, Yamaguchi lashed out by

saying: "The Cabinet is not functioning...It's truly a disappointing Cabinet."
郵政改革法案をめぐる閣内の混乱などを列挙して、「内閣は機能不全」「失望内閣」などと厳しく批判した。

Hatoyama's responses to the remarks of Tanigaki and Yamaguchi were diffuse to say the least, and the instances where the

prime minister failed to answer the party leaders' questions were conspicuous. It was obvious Hatoyama was playing for

time so as to wrap up the debate as quickly as possible.
　谷垣、山口両氏に対する首相の発言は、全体に冗長で、追及に正面から答えていない場面が目立った。これでは、討論を早く

切り上げようとする時間稼ぎとみられても仕方があるまい。

In the previous debate, Tanigaki was criticized by members of his own party for failing to land a serious blow on Hatoyama,

prompting such senior members as former Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano to call for the party president to be replaced.
　谷垣総裁は、前回の討論で追及が甘かったと党内から指摘が相次ぎ、与謝野馨・元財務相らが総裁交代論を展開した。

This time, Tanigaki seems to have learned from the previous lesson. But nonetheless he failed to rid himself of his tendency

to pull his punches.
今回は反省をある程度生かしたと言えるが、質問調が抜け切れなかった。

Voices can still be heard within the LDP that "we can't fight the [upcoming] House of Councillors election under

Tanigaki's leadership."
　党内には「谷垣総裁では参院選は戦えない」との声が依然くすぶっている。

Complaining about the poor management of Diet affairs, young and middle-ranking LDP Diet members are calling for a

shake-up of the party's leadership, including Secretary General Tadamori Oshima and Diet Affairs Committee Chairman

Jiro Kawasaki.
若手・中堅議員は拙劣な国会運営を理由に、大島幹事長や川崎二郎国会対策委員長ら執行部の刷新も求めている。

Tanigaki's leadership will be tested over whether he can rebuild the LDP as a party full of a fighting spirit.
　戦う野党として態勢を立て直せるか、谷垣総裁の指導力が引き続き問われよう。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, April 1, 2010)
（2010年4月1日01時50分 読売新聞）