通常国会閉幕 「逃げ」に終始した菅民主党

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Jun. 18, 2010)
DPJ must stop 'cop-out tactics'
通常国会閉幕　「逃げ」に終始した菅民主党（6月17日付・読売社説）

Public expectations that the latest Diet session would usher in an era of "new politics" following last year's change of government have faded. Instead, the session showed all too clearly the deteriorating state of politics in this country.
　政権交代による「新たな政治」への期待はしぼみ、政治の劣化を見せつけられた国会だった。

The ordinary Diet session ended Wednesday. Political parties have now started preparing for the House of Councillors election scheduled for July 11.
　通常国会が閉幕し、各政党は来月１１日投開票の参院選に向けて走り出した。

The Democratic Party of Japan recently withdrew a proposal to hold a budget committee meeting and decided against extending the Diet session. These actions can only be criticized as "cop-outs" and neglecting the party's duty.
　民主党が、予算委員会開催の提案を撤回し、国会会期も延長しなかったのは、「逃げの一手」「責任放棄」との批判を免れない。

The two-day session of interpellations by party representatives regarding new Prime Minister Naoto Kan's policy speech was too short. More intensive discussions should have been made at the budget committees of both Diet chambers.
　首相が交代した以上、菅首相の所信表明演説に対する２日間の代表質問だけでは不十分だ。予算委で審議を尽くすべきだった。

It also remains unclear how the Kan administration differs from the previous one of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, which ended up disappointing many people.
　菅内閣が、多くの国民を失望させた鳩山前内閣とどう違うのかはよく分からない。

Although Kan made no secret of the fact that his selection of cabinet ministers and top DPJ leaders were intended to rid the party of the influence of former DPJ Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa, the shape and direction of his policies--a key point for the new administration--remain opaque.
閣僚人事などでは小沢前幹事長の影響力を排除する姿勢をアピールしたが、肝心の政策の具体像は見えてこない。

How will the new administration put the fiscal house in order and reform the tax system? How will it soothe strained bilateral ties with the United States?
　財政健全化と税制の抜本改革にどう取り組むのか。日米関係をいかに立て直すか。

===

Don't put party 1st

In an ideal political world, the administration would face the upper house election only after clarifying--through Diet deliberations--the course for policies the Kan administration hopes to accomplish.
菅内閣の目指す政策の方向性を国会審議の中で明確にしたうえ、参院選に臨むのが政治のあるべき姿だろう。

The DPJ avoided budget committee deliberations apparently because it felt the party would have the upper hand in the upcoming election while public approval ratings for the DPJ-led administration, which rose with the new cabinet, remain high.
　民主党が予算委審議を避けたのは、回復した内閣支持率が高いうちに参院選を戦った方が得だ、と判断したためだ。

These are tactics that put party interests before all else. Giving the ultimate priority to winning the election speaks volumes of the party's complete disregard for Diet affairs.
「選挙至上主義」とも言うべき党利党略の戦術であり、国会軽視も甚だしい。

The DPJ-led coalition government did not hold a meeting of the Deliberative Council on Political Ethics, which Ozawa had indicated he would attend to clarify his involvement in a political funds scandal. The government's decision has prevented it from fulfilling its accountability.
　「政治とカネ」をめぐり、小沢氏が出席の意向を示した政治倫理審査会を開かず、説明責任を果たさない。

When a scandal over questionable office expenses made by a political organization of Satoshi Arai, state minister in charge of national policy and consumer affairs, surfaced, the DPJ-led administration tried to sweep the issue under the carpet.
荒井国家戦略相の事務所費問題が浮上しても、臭いものにフタをし、幕引きを図る。

The DPJ must realize that its attempts to conceal swirling suspicions only amplify public distrust of politics.
　こうした「疑惑隠し」の姿勢が国民の政治不信を増幅していることを、民主党は自覚すべきだ。

Several bills the government and ruling coalition had considered important did not get passed into law during the Diet session. These bills included one on postal service reforms, measures to combat global warming and one that would establish a decision-making system at the initiative of politicians.
　政府・与党が重要法案としていた郵政改革、地球温暖化対策、政治主導確立などの法案は成立しなかった。

===

LDP has lost its bite

The DPJ-led administration used its superior weight of numbers to manage Diet affairs even more high-handedly than Liberal Democratic Party-led administrations did. However, it appears disarray within the government and the ruling coalition parties over key policies and the simultaneous resignations of Hatoyama and Ozawa affected the fate of these bills.
　自民党政権以上に「数の力」に頼った強引な国会運営をしながら、政府・連立与党の足並みの乱れや鳩山前首相と小沢氏のダブル辞任が影響したと言えよう。

Just 54.7 percent of government-proposed bills passed the Diet during the session--a postwar low. We do not think the DPJ has fulfilled its responsibility as the party in power.
政府提出法案の成立率が戦後最低の５４・７％では、政権党の責任を果たしたと言えない。

On the other hand, the LDP failed to make its presence felt as the largest opposition party. The LDP failed to put the government on the defensive and present better counterproposals. LDP President Sadakazu Tanigaki's kid-glove questions during Diet debates between the prime minister and opposition party leaders, and the party's tired old tactics of boycotting the Diet session also triggered grumbling within party ranks.
　一方で、自民党も、野党第１党としての存在感を示せなかった。政府を的確に批判し、より良い対案を示すどころか、党首討論での谷垣総裁の追及の甘さや、旧態依然の審議拒否戦術には、党内から非難の声が出るほどだった。

A string of new parties have appeared on the scene, such as the Sunrise Party of Japan, New Renaissance Party and the Spirit of Japan Party. Their emergence reflects discontent at the fecklessness of the two major parties--the DPJ and the LDP.
　たちあがれ日本、新党改革、日本創新党など新党結成が相次いだのは、民主、自民の２大政党のふがいなさの裏返しでもある。

The election is just around the corner. Political parties must try to restore people's trust in politics by discussing responsible and basic policies, rather than competing with one another with claptrap election pledges.
　各政党は、参院選に向けて、人気取りの公約を競うのでなく、責任ある骨太の政策論議を通じて政治の信頼回復を図るべきだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 17, 2010)
（2010年6月17日01時43分 読売新聞）