衆院選公示 確かな日本の針路見据えたい

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 6, 2012)
Voters--pick the party that offers solid course for Japan
衆院選公示　確かな日本の針路見据えたい（12月5日付・読売社説）

　◆無責任な主張に惑わされぬよう◆

Can Japan maintain its national strength, or will it stray down a course of decline? In the upcoming House of Representatives election, voters will make an extremely important choice that will decide the future course of Japan.
　国力を維持していけるのか、それとも衰退の道をたどるのか。日本の針路を決める上で、極めて重要な選択である。

Official campaigning has started for the 46th lower house election. It is an unusual election in that it is being contested by 12 political parties, including the two major ones--the Democratic Party of Japan and the Liberal Democratic Party.
　第４６回衆院選が公示された。民主、自民の２大政党をはじめ１２の政党が乱立して争う異例の選挙戦となった。

In his first stump speech, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said the question in this election is "whether we move forward or return to old politics." He stressed that his party aims to become the largest party in the lower house. LDP President Shinzo Abe, meanwhile, said, "Together with New Komeito, the LDP will definitely win a majority and take back power." All eyes are on whether the DPJ or the LDP will end up holding the tiller of government.
　第一声で野田首相は「前に進むか、昔に戻るか」と訴え、第１党を目指すとしている。自民党の安倍総裁は「断固として自民党、公明党で過半数を獲得し、政権奪還を目指す」と語った。どちらが政権を担うかが、最大の焦点だ。

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3rd force may affect new govt
　◆第３極も新政権に影響◆

If Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party), Nippon Mirai no To (Tomorrow Party of Japan) and Your Party, which aim to become a third major force to rival the DPJ and the LDP, grow stronger, they could affect the framework of the new administration.
　民主、自民両党に対抗して「第３極」を目指す日本維新の会、日本未来の党、みんなの党の勢力伸長は、新政権の枠組みに影響する。

While Abe scotched suggestions his party might form a coalition government with the DPJ, he said cooperation with Ishin no Kai remains an option.
　安倍氏は、民主党との連立政権を否定する一方、維新の会との連携は選択肢の一つだと述べた。

Even if the LDP becomes the largest party in the lower chamber, it still does not have a majority in the House of Councillors--even with the help of Komeito and Ishin no Kai. Consequently, the Diet likely will remain divided until the upper house election in summer next year.
　衆院で自民党が第１党になった場合でも、参院の議席は公明党や維新の会と合わせても過半数には届かない。

With elections being what they are, it is natural for political parties to compete with each other. However, they will also need to maneuver with one eye on the possibility of forming a coalition or partial alliance after the election. Parties are being tested on how they will break away from "politics characterized by indecision."
　来夏の参院選まで、衆参のねじれが続く公算が大きい。
　選挙である以上、各党が競い合うのは当然だが、選挙後の連立や部分連合も考慮に入れた対応も必要だ。「決められない政治」からどう脱却するかが問われている。

Cooperation between the DPJ, the LDP and Komeito is indispensable for steadily carrying out integrated reform of the social security and tax systems, the main pillar of which is to raise the consumption tax rate.
　民自公３党の協力は、消費税率の引き上げを柱とする社会保障と税の一体改革を今後、着実に実行していくうえで欠かせない。

The consumption tax increase is necessary for rebuilding state finances, which are teetering on the brink, and maintaining the social security system. It was only recently that the national council for revamping the social security system was launched under the initiative of the three parties. The council's discussions must be accelerated further.
　消費増税は、危機に瀕(ひん)する財政を再建し、社会保障制度を維持するために必要だ。３党の主導により社会保障制度改革国民会議が発足したばかりである。議論をさらに加速させなければならない。

Fearing for their political survival, many former lower house members who bolted from the DPJ joined new parties and oppose the tax increase. If they insist on taking this stance, they should present realistic steps for securing the resources needed to fund social security and reconstructing public finances.
　民主党を離党した前衆院議員たちの多くは、生き残りを図るために新党に移り、「反増税」を唱えている。それなら、社会保障財源の確保と、財政再建への現実的な具体策を示すべきだ。

Simply insisting they will "cut waste in administration" is too simplistic.
　「行政のムダを削減する」と唱えるだけでは粗雑に過ぎる。

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Zero nuclear option irresponsible

Parties are also at odds over policies on nuclear power and energy.
　原発・エネルギー政策でも各党の主張の対立が目立つ。

Although the DPJ and the LDP will both allow nuclear reactors to be reactivated after confirmation they are safe to operate, the LDP said it will not form a conclusion on the future of nuclear power plants right away.
　民主、自民両党は安全性が確認された原発の再稼働を認める点では一致するものの、自民党は原発の将来像に早急には結論を出さないとしている。

　◆「脱原発」の安売りでは◆

The DPJ, on the other hand, aims to end the nation's reliance on nuclear power generation in the 2030s. Mirai no To calls for abolishing nuclear generation in 10 years, while Your Party says it will end nuclear reliance in the 2020s. The Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party champion ending nuclear generation immediately.
　一方で、民主党は２０３０年代の原発稼働ゼロを目指す。未来の党は１０年以内に全原発廃炉、みんなの党は２０年代の原発ゼロを掲げている。共産、社民両党は即時ゼロという立場だ。

It is irresponsible to call for ending the use of nuclear power. Parties that trumpet this stance must explain in detail how they would ensure a stable power supply and deal with the inevitable negative impacts on the economy, employment and household spending, and the drain of Japan's nuclear engineers. Without doing so, their arguments will not be compelling to voters.
　「原発ゼロ」は無責任である。電力の安定供給、経済・雇用や家計への打撃、原子力関連技術者の流出など様々な懸念について、具体的な解決策を示さないようでは、説得力を持たない。

Taking the "zero nuclear" option will erode Japan's strength, and clearly make it more difficult to provide full social security programs and guarantee national security.
　国力をそぐ原発ゼロでは、社会保障の充実も、安全保障の確保も難しくなるのは明らかだ。

The most important task right now is economic revitalization. Conquering deflation and the ultra-strong yen will be essential for achieving an economic recovery.
　何より重要なのは、経済再生である。デフレ・超円高を克服し、景気を回復することが急務だ。

The LDP has laid out an inflation target of 2 percent, and plans to implement bold monetary easing to achieve this goal. We applaud this policy.
　自民党が、「明確な物価目標２％」を設定し、その達成に向けて大胆な金融緩和を行う考えを打ち出したのは評価できる。

Many parties, including the DPJ and the LDP, list economic growth as one of their campaign pledges. But they have failed to present a clear vision for achieving it.
　民主、自民など多くの党が高い経済成長の達成を公約しているが、道筋は不透明だ。

It is important that voters scrutinize the parties' campaign platforms to find out which party offers effective economic stimulus and monetary policies.
　どの党が有効な景気対策、金融政策を掲げているか、中身を見極めることが大切である。

The diplomatic and security environments surrounding Japan have been going through dramatic changes.
　日本を取り巻く外交・安全保障の環境は変貌を遂げつつある。

The DPJ-led administration's ham-fisted handling of the planned relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station badly strained the Japan-U.S. alliance. Chinese marine surveillance ships have regularly intruded into Japanese territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture, and North Korea announced it is preparing to test-launch a ballistic missile.
　米軍普天間飛行場の移設問題を巡る民主党政権の失政で、日米同盟が大きく揺らいだ。沖縄・尖閣諸島周辺海域では中国公船の領海侵入が相次ぎ、北朝鮮は弾道ミサイルの発射を予告している。

The DPJ, the LDP and Ishin no Kai have quite rightly called for bolstering and deepening the Japan-U.S. alliance. Improving relations with Washington will be necessary also as a check against China, which has been expanding its military and economic presence. Allowing Japan to exercise its right to collective self-defense could be an effective tool for that purpose.
　民主、自民、維新の会などが日米同盟の強化・深化を掲げているのは当然である。軍事、経済両面で膨張する中国をけん制するためにも、米国との関係改善が必要だ。集団的自衛権の行使を認めることは有力な手段となろう。

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Discuss constitutional revision
　◆あるべき国家像を語れ◆

Political parties also have a responsibility to deepen discussions about revising the Constitution to present a new vision for Japan.
　目指すべき国家像を示す憲法改正について議論を深めることも、政党の重要な責務である。

Voters, for their part, must be careful not to be swayed by populist slogans and sentiments. The parties' pledges include hardly any calls for increasing public burdens, except for the consumption tax increase. Why? The nation cannot just keep kicking the fiscal deficit can down the road for the next generation to deal with.
　有権者の側も大衆迎合のスローガンやムードに惑わされないよう注意したい。消費増税を除いて、各党の公約に負担増を求める政策がほとんどないのはなぜか。次世代にツケを回すのは限界だ。

In the previous 2009 lower house election, many voters got swept up by the climate of "letting the DPJ lead the nation for once." Will similar expectations be held this time for parties striving to become a third political force?
　前回衆院選では「一度は民主党に政権を任せてみよう」という空気に国民が流された。今回も同様に第３極に期待が集まるのか。

We hope voters will listen closely to what candidates say during the campaign to determine which party offers prescriptions that can address the tough challenges the country faces.
　日本が直面する難問に、責任ある処方箋を掲げているのはどの政党か。真摯(しんし)に耳を傾けたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 5, 2012)
（2012年12月5日01時28分 読売新聞）