前原外相 看過できない外国人違法献金

前原外相は昨日６日の夕刻に辞任しました。
わずか２５万円のために、愚かなことをしました。
自民党の議員が調べて告発したみたいですね。
なんだか与野党逆転での意趣返しをしているようですっきりしません。
小沢さんの虚偽記載は金額が多いのに、大丈夫みたいです＾＾。
外国人からの政治献金は政治資金規正法で厳しく禁止されているので辞任はやむ終えないですね。
実に男らしいあっさりとした辞任劇ではありました。
なにより、四の五の（しのごの）反論しない。
中学校時代の友達からもらったと素直に認めています。
法律を犯してはいますが、ちょっと気の毒になりました。
善意の献金が致命傷となったということです。
残念です。
（スラチャイ記）

Don't overlook illegal donation issue
The Yomiuri Shimbun (Mar. 7, 2011)
前原外相　看過できない外国人違法献金（3月6日付・読売社説）

Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara has admitted in a meeting of the House of Councillors Budget Committee that he received political donations from a South Korean resident living in Kyoto.
　前原外相が参院予算委員会で、京都市に住む在日韓国人の女性から政治献金を受け取っていたことを認めた。

This is a problem that cannot be forgiven just because the amount of money involved was small or because he may not have received it intentionally.
　献金額が少ないとか、故意ではないからとかいって、簡単に免責されるような問題ではない。

The Political Funds Control Law prohibits politicians from receiving donations related to their political activities from foreign nationals, corporations and organizations. The purpose of this prohibition is to prevent intervention in Japan's politics by foreign countries.
　政治資金規正法は、外国人や外国法人から政治活動に関する寄付を受けることを禁止している。日本の政治が外国から干渉・影響されるのを防ぐためである。

Especially when politicians intentionally receive such donations, they may be subject to punishments such as imprisonment, fine and suspension of civil rights--including the right to vote or run for public office.
　特に、故意に寄付を受けた場合は、禁錮や罰金、公民権停止などの罰則の対象になる。

Maehara said he was only aware of one 50,000 yen donation. He said he would return the money and revise the relevant political funds report.
　外相は、自ら把握する献金は５万円だとし、今後、返金して政治資金収支報告書を訂正する考えを示した。

===

Conduct probe soon

However, Shoji Nishida of the Liberal Democratic Party pointed out at the Budget Committee meeting that Maehara received at least 200,000 yen during the past four years.
だが、自民党の西田昌司氏は予算委で、４年間で計２０万円を受け取っていたと指摘した。

The foreign minister should swiftly investigate the whole picture of the donations from the South Korean resident and determine whether there have been donations from other foreign nationals. The results of the investigation should be publicly announced as soon as possible.
　この在日韓国人からの献金の全容と、他の外国人からの政治献金の有無について、外相は速やかに調査し、公表すべきだ。

Maehara said his association with the female South Korean resident of Kyoto began during his middle school days, but he denied he intentionally received the money. He said he learned of the donation only a day before the Budget Committee meeting.
　外相は、在日韓国人との付き合いは中学生時代からだが、献金を知ったのは予算委の前日だとして故意の受領を否定している。

To begin with, it is common sense for politicians that political donations from foreign nationals are illegal. Moreover, Maehara is now the top government official responsible for steering Japan's diplomacy.
　外国人からの政治献金が違法であることは政界の常識である。まして前原外相は今、日本外交を統括する立場にある。

Even if he really did not know about the donations, it is problematic that his office accepted them so easily. He cannot escape his responsibility to supervise his own office staff.
　本人が本当に知らなかったとしても、事務所が安易に献金を受け取ること自体が問題であり、外相の監督責任は免れない。

Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Katsuya Okada called it "a clerical mistake," but the problem should not be brushed off so easily and irresponsibly.
民主党の岡田幹事長が言うような「事務的ミス」として、片づけて済ませるべきではあるまい。

Maehara has been a sharp critic of the money and politics scandals surrounding former DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa.
　前原外相は、小沢一郎元代表の政治とカネの問題について厳しく批判してきた。

However, in addition to the illegal donation issue, other problems also surfaced. For example, a company that did not buy tickets to a fund-raising party was erroneously listed as having done so in Maehara's 2009 political funds report. Also, his political organization received donations that year from a company at which an executive had been investigated by police in a tax evasion case.
　ところが、今回の違法献金に加え、パーティー券購入企業の収支報告書への誤記載や、脱税事件で摘発された人物の関係企業からの献金が発覚した。

We cannot help but conclude Maehara is too careless.
極めて脇が甘いと言わざるを得ない。

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Can DPJ purify itself?

A chorus of demands for Maehara to resign as foreign minister has arisen from the LDP and other opposition parties. Even some members of the DPJ have said the opposition demand is appropriate.
　自民党など野党は、一斉に外相の辞任を要求しており、民主党の一部にも同調する声がある。

On Saturday night, Maehara demonstrated his determination to continue as foreign minister. The issue of his possible resignation will surely drive the administration of Prime Minister Naoto Kan, which is already struggling with various issues, into an even more difficult situation.
前原外相は５日夜、続投への意欲を示したが、仮に進退問題に発展すれば、菅内閣はますます厳しい状況に追い込まれるだろう。

In the past, DPJ member Giichi Tsunoda resigned from his post as vice president of the upper house in January 2007 over suspicion that his election office received a donation from an organization under the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon).
　民主党では２００７年１月、角田義一参院副議長が在日本朝鮮人総連合会の傘下団体からの献金疑惑を残し、辞任している。

And in the party presidential election in autumn last year, it became a problem that the DPJ gave voting rights to party members and supporters who are foreign residents.
昨年秋の代表選では、在日外国人の党員・サポーターに投票権を与えていることが問題となった。

If Kan pushes forward with the slogan "clean DPJ," we urge the party to demonstrate that its capacity for self-purification really works on these problems.
　菅首相が「クリーンな民主党」を標榜(ひょうぼう)するなら、こうした一連の問題にきちんと自浄能力を発揮することが求められよう。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 6, 2011)
（2011年3月6日01時42分 読売新聞）