英字新聞

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Jan. 28, 2011)
Politics cannot function on confrontation alone
代表質問　対決だけの政治は機能しない（1月27日付・読売社説）

Politics will continue to malfunction under the current divided Diet, in which the House of Councillors is controlled by the opposition bloc, if the ruling and opposition sides remain at loggerheads unnecessarily.
　衆参ねじれ国会の下、与野党がいたずらに対決するばかりでは、政治の機能不全が続くだけだ。

Both need to work in a constructive manner, cooperating on certain points when necessary.
協調すべき点では協調する、という建設的な対応が与野党双方に求められる。

Interpellations began Tuesday in the Diet for party representatives to grill Prime Minister Naoto Kan on the policy speech he delivered Monday, the first day of the current regular Diet session.
　菅首相の施政方針演説に対する各党代表質問が始まった。

Sadakazu Tanigaki, president of the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party, harshly criticized the Democratic Party of Japan over its pledges for the House of Representatives election in 2009, saying the DPJ had committed "the biggest deliberate violation of a campaign platform in the history of constitutional politics."
　自民党の谷垣総裁は、民主党の衆院選の政権公約について「憲政史上最大の確信犯的な公約違反」と厳しく批判した。

Tanigaki made his confrontational attitude toward the Kan administration clear, demanding an early dissolution of the House of Representatives for a snap general election.
"[The government and the ruling party] must admit the mistakes in the election pledges, apologize to voters and seek a voter mandate," Tanigaki said in the Diet.
　さらに、「公約の過ちを認め、有権者におわびしたうえで信を問い直すべきだ」として、早期の衆院解散・総選挙を要求し、菅政権との対決姿勢を鮮明にした。

Kan riposted, insisting that many election pledges have been implemented or the process to realize them begun, and rejected early dissolution of the lower house.
　菅首相は、「公約の多くは実施・着手されている」と反論し、早期解散を否定した。

However, the prime minister also said he plans to "examine" the election pledges by September and that in the event he revised the pledges, he would carefully explain to the public to obtain their understanding.
ただ、今年９月までに公約を「検証」し、「見直す時は、国民に丁寧に説明し、理解を得たい」とも語った。

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Election promises kaput

We consider the prime minister's perception to be too rosy. In its election pledges, the DPJ claimed it would be possible to squeeze out 16.8 trillion yen in fiscal resources by reorganizing allocations in the more than 200 trillion yen state budget. However, it is already apparent that the election pledges have fallen apart.
　首相の認識は甘い。２００兆円余の総予算を組み替えれば、必要な１６・８兆円の財源を捻出できるとした公約の破綻は既に明白だ。

If the prime minister still obstinately insists that he will "examine" the pledges, he is simply procrastinating.
それでも「検証」と強弁するのは問題の先送りでしかない。

Given that the government will compile plans for comprehensive tax reform, including a consumption tax hike, in June, it would be reasonable for the government to comprehensively review election pledges in parallel with the tax system. We urge the government to make a fresh start, frankly admitting its past mistakes and offering apologies to the public.
　６月に消費税を含む税制抜本改革案をまとめるなら、それと並行して公約の全面見直しに取り組むのが筋である。過去の誤りを率直に認め、国民に謝罪することから出直しを図るべきだ。

Tanigaki grilled the prime minister about the appointment of Kaoru Yosano as state minister in charge of economic and fiscal policy in a recent Cabinet reshuffle, asking whether there are conflicting opinions within the Cabinet.
　谷垣総裁は、与謝野経済財政相の入閣について「閣内不一致はないか」と追及した。

Kan dodged the question. "It won't be possible for the Cabinet to be in disagreement by the time the reform plan is compiled in June," he said.
首相は、６月に成案を得る段階では「内閣の不統一はあり得ない」とかわした。

As Tanigaki pointed out, however, Yosano supports a consumption tax hike and is hardly in step with DPJ members. As Kan is the one who appointed Yosano to the Cabinet, he must expedite efforts to unify opinions within the government as a step toward the goal of incorporating a consumption tax hike in the tax reform plans.
　谷垣総裁の指摘通り、消費税率引き上げを持論とする与謝野氏と民主党の足並みがそろっているとは言い難い。首相は、与謝野氏を入閣させた以上、消費税率引き上げを改革案に盛り込む方向で意思統一を急がねばなるまい。

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LDP must make an effort

Kan renewed his call to Tanigaki to hold cross-party talks to realize unified reform of social security and tax systems. However, Tanigaki effectively rejected the proposal, setting dissolution of the lower house as a precondition.
　首相は、社会保障と税の一体改革での与野党協議を改めて呼びかけたが、谷垣総裁は、衆院解散が条件として、事実上拒否した。

Tanigaki apparently concluded that if the LDP agrees to hold negotiations with the ruling bloc and compile reform plans together, it would only benefit the Kan administration. But the LDP will not be able to fulfill its role as a responsible party if it refuses to budge.
　協議に応じ、成案をまとめれば、結局は菅政権の得点となってしまう、という判断だろうが、それだけでは責任政党と言えない。

Even if the LDP wins the next lower house election and retakes the reins of government, it will still face difficulties in steering the upper house. Given the current seat composition in the upper house, the LDP will be a minority ruling party there even if it forms a coalition with New Komeito, meaning it will have to deal with the divided Diet.
　仮に自民党が衆院選で勝利し、政権を奪還しても、今の参院の議席構成のままでは、たとえ公明党と連立を組んでも、少数与党となり、ねじれ国会に直面しよう。

To avoid such an unproductive development, it will be necessary to establish the practice of ruling and opposition parties cooperating with each other to a certain degree on key policy issues.
　そうした不毛な展開を避けるには、重要な政策課題では与野党が一定の協力をする慣例を作る必要がある。

As an initial step to establishing such a framework, it will be essential for the Kan administration to make bold concessions. We advise the LDP, for its part, not to act solely for its own party interests.
それには、まず菅政権が政策面で大胆な譲歩をすることが欠かせない。自民党も、党利党略優先の対応は自制してほしい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan. 27, 2011)
（2011年1月27日01時49分 読売新聞）