公明党敗北 出直しに与党経験を生かせ

The Yomiuri Shimbun(Sep. 6, 2009)
For New Komeito a time to reflect, rebuild
公明党敗北　出直しに与党経験を生かせ（9月6日付・読売社説）

The two highest-ranking members of New Komeito--its leader and secretary general--lost their seats in last Sunday's House of Representatives election, marking the most crushing defeat for the party since its foundation.
　総選挙の結果は、党首と幹事長のトップ２人が共に落選するという、結党以来かつてない惨敗である。

It should now calmly examine the causes of its defeat and learn lessons from it for its renewal.
敗因を冷静に分析し、再出発の糧としなければならない。

All eight Komeito candidates fielded in single-seat constituencies lost their seats and the party won 21 seats in the proportional representation section of the election, which is fewer than the 25 seats it gained in the 1967 lower house election, the first lower house poll in which Komeito participated. It is no exaggeration to say the party is now facing its greatest crisis.
　公明党は、８人の小選挙区候補が全員落選し、比例選のみで獲得した２１議席は、衆院に初めて進出した１９６７年衆院選の２５議席を下回った。最大の危機に直面していると言っても誇張ではない。

Natsuo Yamaguchi, chairman of the party's Policy Research Council, is expected to become the new party leader. What he and the new leadership must do first is rebuild the party ahead of the House of Councillors election next summer.
　新代表には山口那津男政調会長が就任する見通しで、新執行部の最初の仕事は、来年夏の参院選に向けた体制立て直しだ。

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Tied to falling LDP

There is no doubt that the resounding defeat of Komeito--which has a solid support base in lay buddhist organization Soka Gakkai--is due to the strong headwind of voter dissatisfaction that blew against the Liberal Democratic Party. Komeito was effectively toppled with its coalition partner.
　創価学会という強固な支持基盤を持つ公明党が大敗したのは、自民党への強い逆風のあおりをまともに受けたためであることは間違いない。

Komeito garnered about 8.05 million votes in the proportional representation section of the election, about 700,000 to 900,000 votes fewer than it achieved in the previous two polls. The party's defeat may also be attributed to the fact that the party was not able to collect many votes cast by supporters of the LDP this time.
　比例選の得票が約８０５万票にとどまり、過去２回と比べて７０万～９０万票も減った。連立相手の自民党支持層からの得票が伸び悩んだことも、敗因の一つだろう。

Moreover, it is undeniable that the election result was partly due to the fact that Komeito was tarred with the same brush as the scandal-hit LDP. Komeito was unable to promote itself as a unique party, finding that it had slowly been cast into oblivion over the past decade spent as the LDP's junior coalition partner.
　それ以上に、１０年にわたる自民党との連立政権下で、公明党がその持ち味を発揮できずに埋没した揚げ句、不祥事続きの自民党と同列視されたことが影響した面も否めない。

Komeito apparently had some problems in deciding on its policies. For example, the party always took a reluctant stance toward the utilization of the Self-Defense Forces at key moments, including the Afghan and Iraq wars launched after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, because they succumbed to the deep-rooted "nonmilitarism and peace" orientation of Soka Gakkai members.
　政策対応にも、問題はなかったか。例えば、米同時テロ後のアフガン戦争やイラク戦争といった節目で、創価学会員に根強い「非軍事・平和」志向に押されるまま、自衛隊の活用に常に消極的な姿勢を取った。

It was Komeito that took the initiative in realizing the flat-sum cash benefit program on which the administration of Prime Minister Taro Aso spent a hefty 2 trillion yen. However, the program has had a limited effect in terms of stimulating the economy and was criticized as pork-barreling.
　麻生政権が２兆円もの巨費を投じた定額給付金は、公明党が主導したものだ。景気刺激効果は限定的と言われ、バラマキ的政策と批判を浴びた。

During the final stage of the administration of former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, senior Komeito members made remarks that could be construed as calling for Fukuda to be replaced. Some observers also have pointed out that Komeito grew conceited due to its increased influence over the LDP it achieved through vital support it gave the LDP in elections.
　福田政権の末期には、党幹部から「福田降ろし」を促すかのような発言もあった。選挙支援を通じて自民党への影響力を強めたことで、驕(おご)りとも言える対応が増えたという指摘もある。

On the other hand, the experience gained by Komeito during its time in the LDP-Komeito coalition must surely be a valuable asset. Previously in perpetual opposition as a force that only criticized the ruling party, Komeito's time in power has made it aware of the political responsibilities of a ruling party, and has given it experience in planning and implementing realistic policies and formulating foreign and national security policies from a global standpoint.
　反面、自公政権下の経験は、批判勢力としての万年野党的立場から、政権与党としての政治責任の自覚、現実的政策の立案や遂行、国際的視野での外交・安全保障政策への対応などの面で、貴重な財産になったのではないか。

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Avoid cozying up to DPJ

We hope Komeito will rebuild itself by studying and drawing on its experiences as a ruling coalition party, which are formed of both good and bad aspects.
　功罪両面を持った連立与党経験を検証した上で、党再建につなげてもらいたい。

Komeito likely will adopt an issue-by-issue stance toward the Democratic Party of Japan, but it must avoid the foolish act of snuggling up to the new administration without first considering its policies.
　民主党には、是々非々の姿勢で臨む方針のようだが、政策抜きで政権にすり寄る愚は避けなければなるまい。

Komeito must act with courage in taking policies to the public, even if they might cause an increased burden, and convince them of the need for hard-to-sell policies rather than pandering to populism.
　大衆迎合に陥らず、痛みを伴う政策への理解を国民に求める勇気と説得力が必要だ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 6, 2009)
（2009年9月6日01時21分 読売新聞）