内閣支持率下落 首相は逆風に耐えられるか

発音注意
buffet-バフィット→嵐、風に翻弄される (buffet-バフェイ→　ビュッフェと混同しない)、ややこしいですね。

The Yomiuri Shimbun (May. 11, 2010)
How much longer can Hatoyama hang on?
内閣支持率下落　首相は逆風に耐えられるか（5月10日付・読売社説）

Public support for the Cabinet of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has been on a slippery slope downward.
　鳩山内閣に対する国民の支持離れは、とどまるところを知らない。

Can Hatoyama implement policies while his administration is being constantly buffeted by unfavorable winds?
　鳩山首相は世論の逆風に抗し、政策をきちんと遂行していけるのか。

According to a Yomiuri Shimbun opinion survey conducted over the weekend, the public approval rating for the Cabinet has plunged to 24 percent. This figure represents less than one-third of the 75 percent of respondents who backed the Cabinet in a similar survey taken in September, when the administration was inaugurated. The disapproval rate, on the other hand, has jumped to 67 percent.
　読売新聞の世論調査で内閣支持率は２４％に下落した。内閣発足当初の、昨年９月調査の７５％に比べ３分の１に減った。不支持率は今回６７％に上った。

As a reason for their disapproval, more than 50 percent of respondents chose, "The prime minister lacks leadership."
　支持しない理由として、「首相に指導力がない」を挙げる人は、なんと５割を突破した。

Hatoyama asserted last summer the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture "should be relocated at least to a site outside the prefecture." This fanned the expectations of residents in the prefecture. However, Hatoyama backpedaled on this assertion during his visit to the island last week, saying it was "not a campaign pledge" of his Democratic Party of Japan.
　米軍普天間飛行場の移設問題で「最低でも県外」と唱え、期待をあおってきた首相は、沖縄訪問でそれを撤回し、党の公約ではなかったなどと釈明した。

Hatoyama visited the prefecture despite there being no prospect of breaking the stalemate over the base relocation. His string of verbal blunders have left many voters' hopes for his government hanging by a thread.
　全く成算のないままに訪問し、失言も重ねた首相に、多くの有権者が、サジを投げたい気分になっているようにみえる。

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Accountability vital

One in two respondents to the Yomiuri survey said Hatoyama should step down if the Futenma dispute is not resolved by the end of this month. Undoubtedly, this reflects that many people value result-based accountability--a quality Hatoyama must show as the nation's leader.
　「５月末に決着」しなければ、首相は退陣すべきだ、と答えた人が２人に１人に上る。これも、最高指導者としての結果責任を、重く見ているからに相違ない。

Along with the contradictions between his words and actions, the issue of political ethics also has haunted the prime minister and his party.
　こうした言行不一致と同様、問われるのが政治倫理問題だ。

It is extraordinary that Hatoyama and DPJ Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa, who hold the top two posts of the ruling party, have been embroiled in political funding scandals.
　首相と小沢民主党幹事長という政権のトップ二人が、「政治とカネ」の醜聞にまみれていること自体、極めて異常なことである。

The Tokyo No. 5 Committee for the Inquest of Prosecution late last month decided Ozawa "merits indictment" in connection with his political fund management organization's alleged falsification of funds reports in violation of the Political Funds Control Law. Asked in the survey whether the civil judicial panel's judgment was "proper" and Ozawa "should resign as party secretary general," about 80 percent of respondents answered affirmatively to each question.
　小沢氏の資金管理団体の政治資金規正法違反事件に絡み、検察審査会は小沢氏に「起訴相当」の議決をした。今回調査で、この議決を「妥当」と考え、小沢氏は辞任すべきだと答えた人は、それぞれ約８割に達した。

A similar inquest panel earlier judged the prosecutors' decision not to indict Hatoyama over a funding controversy was "appropriate." But many voters do not believe Hatoyama has fulfilled his accountability over this matter.
　首相についての、検察審査会の議決は「不起訴相当」だったが、有権者の多くは首相が説明責任を果たしたとは思っていない。

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Restore public faith

The panel's attached opinion mentioned "it is unthinkable that Hatoyama knew nothing about money provided by his mother" and called into question whether "politicians can be allowed not to take responsibility if they claim they entrust everything to their secretaries."
　「首相が、母親からの資金提供を全く知らなかったとは考えがたい」「秘書に任せていたと言えば政治家本人の責任は問われなくていいのか」

These points are common sense to the general public. Hatoyama and Ozawa, as well as DPJ lawmakers, appear to be taking such criticism far too lightly.
　こうした検察審査会の問題提起は、いわば世間の常識だろう。首相も小沢氏も民主党議員も、これを甘く見過ぎていないか。

After learning of the inquest panel's decision, Ozawa said he had done "nothing to be ashamed of." If this is indeed so, he has no reason to evade meeting the opposition parties' request to testify at the Diet as a sworn witness over the matter. He should meet this request without hesitation and prove his hands are clean.
　小沢氏は、検察審査会の議決に関して、「何もやましいことはない」と言っている。だとすれば、野党の証人喚問要求から逃げる必要はない。国会招致に堂々と応じて、潔白を証明すべきである。

Public support for the DPJ is mired at the 20 percent level. The number of voters who plan to vote for the DPJ in this summer's House of Councillors election has been dropping steadily.
　民主党支持率は、２割台に低迷し、参院比例選の投票先でも、民主党を挙げる人は、減少の一途をたどっている。

As indicated in the Analects of Confucius, politics can never be conducted if the people lose faith in it. The government and the DPJ must take this teaching to heart.
　「信なくば立たず」という。国民の信用をなくしたら、政治は成り立たない。今こそ、その言葉を肝に銘じる時だろう。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, May 10, 2010)
（2010年5月10日01時24分 読売新聞）