内閣支持率下落 日本郵政人事で誤断したツケ

The Yomiuri Shimbun(Jun. 17, 2009)
Aso must act to resolve Nishikawa issue
内閣支持率下落　日本郵政人事で誤断したツケ（6月17日付・読売社説）

The results of The Yomiuri Shimbun's latest survey might have come as a shock to Prime Minister Taro Aso--it indicates he has been driven into a ditch.
　麻生首相も驚く数字だったのではないか。まさに進退窮まると言えるような状況だ。

In the snap survey, the approval rating for the Aso Cabinet was shown to have dropped to 22.9 percent, down 6.6 percentage points from a similar survey conducted just a week ago. Opinion polls by other newspapers show a similar dive.
　読売新聞の緊急世論調査で、麻生内閣の支持率が２２・９％に下落した。１週間前の調査と比べて、６・６ポイントも低下した。他紙の世論調査でも、同様の傾向である。

One key cause for the decline in public support is apparent. It is the dismissal of Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Kunio Hatoyama who was opposed to allowing Yoshifumi Nishikawa staying on as president of Japan Post Holdings Co.
　原因は明らかだ。日本郵政の西川善文社長の続投に異を唱えていた鳩山前総務相の更迭にある。

Sixty-five percent of those surveyed by The Yomiuri Shimbun said it had been unnecessary to oust Hatoyama.
本紙の調査では、「更迭する必要はなかった」が６５％に上った。

It means the prime minister must now make a clear judgment on management responsibility at Japan Post Holdings if he is to get out of this pinch.
　とすれば、首相がこの窮地から脱するには、まず、日本郵政の経営責任について明確なけじめをつけることである。

Aso said he had dismissed Hatoyama because the minister had caused confusion for the government in its dealings with Japan Post Holdings, and because the government should avoid intervening directly in the personnel affairs of a private company.
　更迭の理由について首相は、政府と日本郵政との間に混乱が生じたこと、民間会社の人事に国が直接介入するのは避けるべきことを挙げていた。

But the public evidently is not satisfied with this explanation.
だが、世論はこれに納得していない。

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Lack of leadership

According to the Yomiuri survey, many of the respondents attributed the confusion over whether Nishikawa should continue as president to a lack of leadership on Aso's behalf. The prime minister bears a great weight of responsibility for delaying judgment on this issue while seeking a replacement for Nishikawa.
　本紙調査では、今回の人事がこれほど混乱したのは、「首相の指導力不足」にあるとみている人が多い。首相が西川社長交代を模索しながら、ずるずると判断を先延ばしした責任は大きい。

The prime minister's delay in reaching a judgment appears to have worsened the already poor political situation spanning many other issues. Aso should take a long hard look at himself concerning this state of affairs.
　今回に限らず、首相の判断の遅れが政治の停滞に輪をかけているケースが目立つ。大いに反省してもらいたい。

However, the latest political confusion cannot be attributed solely to the prime minister, since the real substance of this problem relates to the management responsibility of Japan Post Holdings, particularly its president, Nishikawa.
　しかし混迷の原因を首相だけに帰すわけにはいかない。問題の本質は、日本郵政とりわけ西川社長の経営責任にあるからである。

The company has been tainted by several scandals including its questionable attempt to sell its Kampo no Yado resort facilities, the nonpayment of Kampo postal life insurance benefits and abuse of a direct-mail discount system meant only for disabled people's organizations.
　保養宿泊施設「かんぽの宿」売却問題はもとより、簡易生命保険の保険金不払い、障害者団体向け郵便料金割引制度を悪用した事件などが相次いでいる。

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67% want Nishikawa to go

According to the survey, 80 percent of the respondents said there were problems with the attempted bundled sale of the Kampo no Yado hotels, and 67 percent said it was not acceptable for Nishikawa to remain in his position. The figures indicate there is a great sense of dissatisfaction that action has not been taken against those responsible for the above scandals.
　国民の８割が「かんぽの宿」の一括売却には「問題があった」とみている。６７％が西川社長の続投について「納得できない」と答えている。不祥事に対する責任が不問に付されていることに、釈然としないのだろう。

"Based on severe self-criticism, it's my duty to accelerate the necessary reforms," Nishikawa said. But, his remark is not sufficient to bring down the curtain on this issue.
　西川社長は、「厳しい反省の上に立って必要な改革を加速していくのが私の責務」と語っている。だが、ちょっと待ってほしい。

Why were the Kampo no Yado facilities, public property in a sense, nearly sold at throwaway prices? Can Japan Post Holdings recover public confidence under the current management?
　なぜ、国民の共有財産といえる施設が二束三文で売られようとしたのか。現体制のままで、日本郵政は、国民の信頼を回復することができるのか。

First of all, Nishikawa has a responsibility to clearly answer these questions.
　西川社長には、何よりも、これに明確に答える責任がある。

Aso said he would make a final judgment on what to do with Nishikawa based on how Japan Post Holdings responds to an operational improvement order it received from the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry. After carefully examining the response, the prime minister must settle this matter once and for all.
　麻生首相は、西川社長の処遇に関し、総務省の業務改善命令に対する日本郵政の回答に基づいて、最終判断すると言ってきた。きちんと吟味して、この問題に決着をつけねばならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 17, 2009)
（2009年6月17日01時34分 読売新聞）