英字新聞

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Sep. 16, 2010)
After a bruising battle, Kan faces tough tasks
菅代表再選　円高と景気対策に挙党態勢を（9月15日付・読売社説）

Prime Minister Naoto Kan defeated Ichiro Ozawa, former secretary general of the Democratic Party of Japan, by a significant margin in the party presidential election Tuesday following a hard-fought battle that has opened a rift in the party.
　党内を二分する激戦となった民主党代表選は、菅首相が小沢一郎前幹事長を大差で破った。

The confusion in the party, which followed the major defeat it suffered in the House of Councillors election in July, has effectively created a political vacuum in the nation. It cannot be denied that the situation has caused national policies to stagnate and has smothered the nation's politics in a sense of helplessness.
　７月の参院選敗北に続く民主党内の混乱は、事実上の政治空白を生み、国政全体に停滞と閉塞(へいそく)感をもたらしてきたことは間違いない。

During the intraparty struggle, the government fell one step behind in dealing with the yen's rapid appreciation and the flagging economy. This was widely noticed.
　この間、円高・経済対策では政府の対応が後手に回り、反応の鈍さも目立った。

Kan should immediately form his new Cabinet, appoint new party executives and exert leadership in implementing economic stimulus measures and drafting the fiscal 2011 budget.
　菅首相は、すみやかに内閣・党役員人事を断行して態勢を整え、景気対策や来年度予算編成に全力をあげねばならない。

Scandal held Ozawa back
　◆資金疑惑響いた小沢氏◆

Kan's victory, however, owes a lot to the "weak points" of his opponent, Ozawa.
　菅首相の勝利は、対立候補の小沢氏が抱えていた多くの「弱点」に救われた面が大きい。

In connection with scandals involving his political funds management organization, his former secretaries were arrested and indicted. He resigned as party secretary general right before the upper house election.
　自らの資金管理団体の政治資金規正法違反事件で元秘書らが逮捕・起訴された小沢氏は、参院選前に幹事長を辞職したばかりだ。

In the party leadership race, former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who was also involved in a politics-and-money scandal and had resigned as prime minister, threw his support behind the DPJ heavyweight. It was a renewed challenge by the Ozawa-Hatoyama duo toward the party leadership, a move that most observers found hard to understand. It was natural that many non-lawmaker party members and registered supporters did not accept them.
　今回の代表選は、同じく「政治とカネ」の問題を抱えて辞任した鳩山前首相の支援を受けての「小鳩」による不可解な再挑戦だった。多くの党員・サポーターが受け入れなかったのは当然だろう。

In connection with the scandal, an inquest of prosecution committee is scheduled to decide in October--for the second time--whether Ozawa should be indicted in connection with a suspicious land purchase by his political funds management group.
　小沢氏の「政治とカネ」の問題では、１０月にも検察審査会が再度の議決を行う予定だ。

When Ozawa was asked what he would do if the independent panel decides that he merits the indictment and he is prosecuted, he clearly stated he would neither leave the party nor resign as Diet member, indicating that he planned to fight the charges in court.
そこで「起訴すべき」との議決が出され、強制起訴になった場合、小沢氏は「離党も辞職もしない」と明言し、司法の場で争う考えを示した。

However, Ozawa has failed to fulfill his responsibility to explain his politics-and-money problems. His remarks undoubtedly aroused opposition and doubt among many party members.
　しかし、「政治とカネ」の問題で説明責任を果たそうとしてこなかった小沢氏のこの発言には、多くの党員が、反発や疑問を抱いたに相違ない。

In the end, one factor behind Ozawa's defeat in the presidential election was the possibility that the country might have ended up with a prime minister who was on trial in a criminal case.
　結局、「刑事被告人の首相」になる可能性があったことも、小沢氏敗北の一因といえる。