自民党混乱 内紛より政策を固める時だ

The Yomiuri Shimbun(Jul. 18, 2009)
LDP must stop bickering and craft viable policies
自民党混乱　内紛より政策を固める時だ（7月18日付・読売社説）

We have run out of patience with the Liberal Democratic Party's shilly-shallying. One of the main causes of its vacillation is the lack of leadership by Prime Minister Taro Aso that led to a disastrous defeat in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election. It is also attributable to LDP lawmakers feeling rattled in the wake of that drubbing and doubting their chances of winning the uphill battle they face in the upcoming House of Representatives election.
　自民党の迷走ぶりは目に余る。東京都議選大敗に至るまでの麻生首相の指導力不足と、これでは衆院選も苦戦必至と浮足立つ議員心理が、その要因といえる。

But now is not the time for the party to wage an internal power struggle.
　しかし、今は党内抗争をしている時ではあるまい。

The lower house will be dissolved on Tuesday. The LDP will be on the defensive against the Democratic Party of Japan in the general election on Aug. 30.
　２１日に衆院は解散され、来月３０日投開票の衆院選で、自民党は民主党の攻勢にさらされる。

Under the circumstances, it is obvious what the LDP should do now: craft responsible policies immediately to seek a voter mandate ahead of the general election.
　とすれば、なすべきことは明らかだろう。衆院選に向けて、有権者に信を問う、責任ある政策を早急に固めることである。

Former LDP Secretary General Hidenao Nakagawa and other lawmakers--who were seeking Aso's resignation--submitted Thursday a list of signatures collected from party members and demanded that a formal session of the LDP's Joint Plenary Meeting of Party Members of Both Houses in the Diet be convened.
　「麻生首相の下で、衆院選は戦えない」と、首相退陣を求める中川秀直・元幹事長らが、署名簿を添えて、両院議員総会の開会を要求した。

But the party leadership pointed out that the number of signatures submitted was not sufficient for such a meeting to be called and that holding such a meeting would plunge the party into further turmoil. The party leadership therefore decided to hold an informal meeting of its members from both houses of the Diet--at which no voting is permitted--on Tuesday, before the lower house is dissolved.
　これに対し、党執行部は、署名が必要な数に達していないうえ、総会の開催は党内の混乱に拍車をかけるとして、議決権のない「両院議員懇談会」を２１日に開催することを決めた。

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Aso authored confusion

Aso has made hard-to-swallow claims that the metropolitan assembly election was not directly linked to national politics. However, there is no getting around the fact that severe criticism of the Aso Cabinet has led to consecutive defeats for the ruling camp in recent regional elections.
　首相はこれまで「国政と地方選は直接関連しない」と強弁してきた。だが、麻生内閣への厳しい評価が、最近の地方選挙の敗戦につながったことは事実だ。

One of the causes of the current confusion is that Aso announced the dissolution of the lower house and a snap general election without holding proper consultations with other LDP members and without giving a general overview of his party's massive defeat in the Tokyo election.
　首相が都議選惨敗の総括もせずに、独断気味に解散・総選挙を予告したことも、混迷の一因だ。

Without verifying the causes for its repeated losses in regional elections, the LDP cannot draw up a blueprint on how to fight the lower house election campaign.
　地方選連敗の原因を検証しなくては、今後、衆院選をいかに戦うか、の指針を示すこともできないのではないか。

LDP lawmakers will not be convinced unless Aso sincerely apologizes for the defeat suffered in the Tokyo election and asserts his resolve to win the upcoming general election during Tuesday's meeting.
　首相が懇談会で、都議選大敗に対する率直な反省と、衆院選への決意を示さなければ、自民党議員は納得しないだろう。

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'Rebellion' was stillborn

We also have misgiving over moves by anti-Aso lawmakers.
　「反麻生」の議員たちの行動にも疑問がある。

Were they demanding that a party presidential election be held before the lower house election? Or were they demanding an inquest into their party's recent losses in regional elections? It is undeniable that gathering signatures without specifying the purpose of doing so invited further commotion within the LDP.
　「総裁選の前倒し」を要求しているのか、地方選の総括を求めているのか。そこをあいまいにした署名集めが、自民党内に更なる混乱を招いたことは否めない。

Moreover, it was hardly surprising that calls for the LDP presidential election to be brought forward were becoming muted given that no lawmaker has thrown his hat into the ring in a bid to succeed Aso, and there are no major contenders to replace him.
　まして「ポスト麻生」に誰も手を挙げず、有力候補不在の状態では、「総裁選前倒し」要求が失速するのは当然だろう。

LDP Election Strategy Council Chairman Makoto Koga expressed his intention to step down from the post to take responsibility for the Tokyo assembly election defeat.
　自民党内では、古賀選挙対策委員長が、地方選敗北の責任をとって辞意を表明している。

Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano, who plays a pivotal role in managing economic policies in the Aso Cabinet, reportedly voiced objections to the prime minister's decisions over the lower house dissolution and the general election.
　麻生内閣の経済運営の要である与謝野財務相も、首相の解散・総選挙をめぐる判断に異を唱えたとされる。

Some party members are said to be planning to campaign for the lower house election under anti-Aso banners and with their own manifestoes.
　自民党内では、「反麻生」を唱えたり、独自の政権公約（マニフェスト）を掲げたりして、衆院選を戦う動きもあるという。

But such moves will only end up puzzling voters. We urge the prime minister to bring the confusion under control and have LDP members work on their party's election pledges as soon as possible.
　これでは有権者が戸惑う。首相は混乱を収拾し、自民党に公約作りを急がせるべきだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 18, 2009)
（2009年7月18日01時40分 読売新聞）