英字新聞

The Yomiuri Shimbun
LDP, DP must find common ground in reforming lower house elections
衆院選制度改革　自公と民進はなお歩み寄れ

The legislature has a duty to correct the vote-value disparity in House of Representatives elections, which (the Supreme Court ruled) are in a state of unconstitutionality. Both the ruling and opposition parties should realize without fail the reform of the electoral system during the current Diet session.
　「違憲状態」とされる衆院選の「１票の格差」を是正することは、立法府の責務だ。与野党は、今国会で選挙制度改革を確実に実現すべきだ。

Lower house Speaker Tadamori Oshima held talks with representatives of each party and asked the Liberal Democratic Party and the Democratic Party (Minshinto, DP) to quickly submit their bills to revise the Public Offices Election Law and other relevant laws, and to form a conclusion on electoral reform by the end of the current Diet session.
　大島衆院議長が各党代表と協議し、自民、民進両党それぞれの公職選挙法改正案などの速やかな国会提出と、今国会中に結論を出すことを要請した。

In other words, Oshima has for now relinquished his attempt to combine the ideas of all the parties to reform the lower house election system.
現時点での一本化を断念したものだ。

The election system is the foundation of democracy. Because of its nature, the system should be reviewed based on a broad consensus. It is regrettable that the ruling party and main opposition party are taking different approaches to the reform.
　選挙制度は民主主義の基盤だ。本来、幅広い合意で見直すことが望ましい。与党と野党第１党の対応が分かれたのは残念である。

Komeito has decided to support the LDP’s reform plan. The LDP-sponsored bills will probably be submitted to the Diet next week and are likely to be enacted during the current Diet session. However, the ruling and opposition parties should continue until the last moment their efforts to find common ground.
　公明党は自民案への賛成を決めた。自民案は来週にも提出され、今国会で成立する方向だが、与野党は最後まで、一致点を見いだす努力を続けてもらいたい。

The plans drawn up by the ruling and opposition parties both adopt the Adams’ method to reallocate lower house seats to single-seat constituencies in prefectures around the country. However, the LDP’s plan introduces it after a national census to be held in 2020, while the DP would introduce it immediately based on results of the 2010 census.
　両案は「アダムズ方式」を採用し、小選挙区の都道府県定数を再配分することでは一致する。だが、自民案は２０２０年国勢調査後に導入するのに対し、民進案は１０年調査を基に直ちに実施する。

The Adams’ method would keep the vote-value gap within 2 to 1, a ratio prescribed as fundamental in the Law for the Council on the House of Representatives Electoral District.
　アダムズ方式は、１票の格差を、衆院選挙区画定審議会設置法が基本とする２倍未満に収められる。

The method pays due consideration to prefectures with small populations by allocating lower house seats to them in a relatively generous manner.
人口の少ない県に比較的手厚く定数を配分することで、地方にも一定の配慮をしている。

Seat reduction questionable

Since the Adams’ method is an essential part of the report submitted by a panel of experts on the electoral system reform to the lower house speaker, it is a matter of course to stipulate it in concerned bills.
　有識者調査会の答申の根幹であり、法律への明記は当然だ。

If lower house seats are reallocated based on results of the 2010 census, their numbers will be “plus seven and minus 13.” In other words, a total of seven seats would be added in Tokyo and four prefectures, and one seat would be taken from each of 13 prefectures. The LDP is trying to delay the introduction of the Adams’ method, apparently aiming to avoid opposition by lawmakers elected from prefectures where the number of seats will decrease.
　１０年国勢調査に基づいて再配分すると、定数は東京都と４県で計７増え、１３県で各１減る「７増１３減」となる。自民党が導入を遅らせるのは、定数が減る県の議員らの反発を避ける狙いだろう。

The LDP’s plan reduces six lower house seats based on results of the simplified census conducted in 2015, and also reviews the demarcation of electoral districts around the country. Its implementation would mean that the demarcation of electoral districts could be changed twice in some areas, when it goes into effect and after the introduction of the Adams’ method.
　自民案は当面、１５年の簡易国勢調査に基づいて、定数を「０増６減」するほか、全国的に区割りを見直す。地域によっては、今回と、アダムズ方式導入後の２回、区割りが変更される恐れがある。

Some observers point out that it might harm the stability of the election system and ties between lawmakers and voters.
　選挙制度の安定性や、議員と有権者のつながりが損なわれかねないとの指摘も出ている。

It is questionable why both plans have included a reduction in the number of lower house seats. They each reduce a total of six seats from single-seat constituencies and four from the proportional representation section.
　疑問なのは、両案とも定数削減を盛り込んだことだ。小選挙区は６、比例は４減らす。

If the number of seats is reduced, it will become more difficult to choose lawmakers representing a wide variety of public opinion, and it might lessen the legislature’s ability to monitor the administration. It is worth noting that Japan has relatively fewer Diet members than those in European countries in relation to its population.
　定数を減らせば、多様な民意を代表する議員を選びにくくなる。立法府の行政監視機能も低下しかねない。人口比でみれば、日本の国会議員は欧州各国より多くないことにも留意する必要がある。

Parties also must deepen discussions on the adverse effects of reducing the number of lower house seats without being caught by their own rhetoric, namely their public pledges to sacrifice their own interests and reduce the number of Diet seats.
　各党は、「身を切る改革」という定数削減の公約によって自縄自縛に陥ることなく、その弊害の議論を深めることも大切だ。

Since transition to the new electoral system is likely to require more than a year due to the need to review the demarcation of electoral districts and publicize the relevant bills to voters after they are enacted, the ruling and opposition parties must hasten deliberations.
　新制度への移行には、関連法案の成立後、区割りの見直し作業や周知期間などで１年以上を要する可能性がある。与野党は、法案審議を急がねばならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, April 8, 2016)