英字新聞

被災者の思いを肌で感じれば、与野党の足の引っ張り合いどころではなくなるだろう。
被災者の目線に立った復興基本法案を望む。
福島第一、完全なメルトダウン。
復旧には１０年かかる。（スリーマイル島原発事故はメルトダウンで炉心を取り出すまで１０年かかった）
なぜ工程表を動かさないのか、理解不能。
（スラチャイ記）

--The Asahi Shimbun, May 15
EDITORIAL: Partisan bickering is wasting time in helping disaster victims
復興基本法案―「現場感覚」で歩み寄れ

The Kan Cabinet submitted to the Diet the basic reconstruction bill that stipulates the guiding philosophy and the framework of undertaking the country's reconstruction efforts in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
　菅内閣が、東日本大震災からの復興の理念や実行体制を定める基本法案を国会に提出した。

It has been two months since the huge quake and tsunami. Compared with the response after the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995, the submission of the basic bill is one month late. As a result, the creation of a recovery framework will also lag. The political response is sluggish and frustrating.
　震災から２カ月余り。阪神大震災の時の基本法に比べ、１カ月遅い提出だ。その結果、復興に臨む体制作りも遅れる。政治のもたつきが歯がゆい。

The bill was delayed because although the government's basic bill seeks to create a reconstruction headquarters that includes all Cabinet members, Shizuka Kamei, chief of the People's New Party, had proposed a "reconstruction implementation headquarters" that includes cross-party heavyweights, and suggested the idea to opposition parties.
　直接の理由は、全閣僚が参加する「復興対策本部」を設ける基本法案に対し、与野党幹部が加わる「復興実施本部」案を亀井静香国民新党代表が提唱し、野党側に打診したことだ。

In the end, the opposition parties refused to come on board, so the government went back to the original plan to set up a recovery headquarters under the Cabinet.
結局野党側は応じず、対策本部を設ける案に戻った。

Under Kamei's plan, decisions would have been made by party leaders for the Cabinet to follow. This would have obfuscated the responsibilities of the prime minister and the Cabinet ministers. It must be said that this was an unrealistic idea to begin with. Prime Minister Naoto Kan should not have listened to Kamei in the first place.
　与野党幹部で方針を決め、内閣が従う亀井構想では、首相や閣僚の責任が不明確になる。元々無理があったと言わざるを得ない。菅直人首相は、亀井氏の誘いに乗るべきではなかった。

There was so much fuss because, despite experiencing the quake, the opposition and ruling parties cannot find it in themselves to cooperate fully. Both the opposition and the government are responsible for wasting precious time.
　こんな話が出てくるのは、震災を経てなお、与野党が十分に力をあわせられないからだ。貴重な時間を空費した責任は、与野党双方にある。

Deliberations on the bill must be the restart of the undertaking of Japan's recovery. Surely the parties do not reject the need for such a law or the need for an organization that oversees the reconstruction efforts.
　基本法案の審議を、出直しの一歩としなければならない。各党とも、基本法の必要性や、復興を担う組織を設けることには異論はなかろう。

The bill should be passed as soon as possible with all the parties adding the necessary revisions.
必要があれば与野党で修正を加え、早く成立させるべきだ。

One of the points of contention was over the nature of the new organization. Would the headquarters be based on a kind of collegial system with Cabinet members? Or would it be a sort of reconstruction agency that stands on par with the other ministries and agencies?
Will the organization propose basic policies and coordinate among the various ministries? Or is it going to implement individual projects as well?
　対立点のひとつは、組織のあり方だ。閣僚の合議体である本部か、各省庁と並ぶ復興庁・復興院か。そこは方針の立案や各省との調整にあたるのか、事業の実施まで担うのか。

However, are these differences that serious?
　だが、それは深刻な違いだろうか。

People in Kasumigaseki, the Tokyo area where the main government offices are located, often say that attempts to create a trans-ministerial body to remove bureaucratic sectionalism only result in creating other bureaucratic factions within the new organization.
省庁の縦割りを排そうと各省をまたぐ組織を設けたけれど、組織の中に縦割りが生まれた――。霞が関ではしばしばそんな話を耳にする。

No matter what kind of structure you create, that in itself will not remove all the bureaucratic segmentation.
どんな組織にしても、それだけで縦割りがなくなるわけではない。

Surely, the key is whether each and every person involved in the reconstruction efforts can empathize with the victims and think, "This is no time to be thinking of ministerial turf and interests."
　かぎは、復興に携わる一人ひとりが被災者の立場に立ち、「縄張りや省益にこだわっている場合ではない」と思えるかどうかにある。

To be able to do that, it is vital for the government to have "sensibilities in tune with people in the disaster area."
そのために大切なのは「現場感覚」ではないか。

The basic bill stipulates that there will be local headquarters under the central headquarters.
　基本法案は、対策本部のもとに現地対策本部を置くと定めている。

It will be necessary for the central government to drastically empower the local headquarters with the authority to make quick decisions after it collaborates with local governments.
これを充実させ大胆に権限を委ねる。自治体と連携し、現地で即決できるようにする。

The vice minister who will head the local headquarters, as well as parliamentary secretaries and other staff members, should not be rotated for some time and stay put in the affected areas.
本部長となる副大臣、政務官や職員はしばらく交代させず、被災地で腰を据える。後手に回りがちな状況を改めるには、そんな姿勢が必要だろう。

A new special committee on recovery and nuclear power plant issues will be set up in the Lower House.
　衆院に復興や原発問題を審議する特別委員会が設置される。

Here too, the committee members will be tested on whether they have "sensibilities in tune with people suffering in the disaster area."
ここでも現場感覚が問われる。

It might be a good idea for the committee members to spend some time in the affected areas, and even hold committee meetings there.
委員は被災地に泊まり込み、会議も現地で開くくらいのことをしていい。

Once they experience firsthand what the victims are really feeling and thinking, then surely there will be no time for any more partisan bickering.
被災者の思いを肌で感じれば、足の引っ張り合いどころではなくなるだろう。