自民党混迷 「郵政」で争う時ではない

The Yomiuri Shimbun　(Feb. 14, 2009)
LDP shouldn't waste time on internal strife
自民党混迷　「郵政」で争う時ではない（2月14日付・読売社説）

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party has been shaken by the careless remarks of Prime Minister Taro Aso in which he indicated his willingness to review the privatization of postal services.
　麻生首相の軽率な郵政民営化見直し発言で、自民党が揺らいでいる。

Even former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who spearheaded the drive for postal privatization and already has announced his intention to retire from politics, openly criticized Aso's remarks.
　郵政民営化を推進し既に引退表明している小泉元首相までもが、首相の一連の発言を公然と批判した。

But the LDP should not rekindle the internal strife that was so recently triggered by consumption tax rate hike debates. First of all, the LDP should make every possible effort to ensure the early passage into law of related bills for the second supplementary budget for fiscal 2008, and for the fiscal 2009 budget.
　だが、消費税問題に続いて党内抗争を再燃させてはなるまい。自民党はまず、第２次補正予算の関連法案や２００９年度予算案の早期成立に全力をあげるべきだ。

It is Aso himself who caused this trouble in the party.
　騒動を引き起こしたのは、ほかならぬ首相自身である。

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Aso's remarks confuse voters

At the House of Representatives Budget Committee, Aso said the review of the current four-company setup under Japan Post Holdings Co. launched in 2007 as part of the postal privatization process should be discussed. Aso added that he was not in favor of the plan when he was a Cabinet member under Koizumi.
　衆院予算委員会で、日本郵政グループの４分社化体制の経営形態見直しを検討すべきだとの考えを示した。小泉内閣当時、郵政民営化には「賛成ではなかった」とも付け加えた。

As long as the Postal Services Privatization Law stipulates that the progress of privatization must be reviewed every three years, Aso is entitled to mention such a review.
　郵政民営化法に「見直し」規定がある以上、見直しに言及することは、差し支えない。

However, the LDP's landslide victory in the last lower house election had postal privatization as its core campaign issue. Now, the incumbent LDP president has clearly said he opposed postal privatization. This will serve to bewilder voters.
　だが、前回衆院選では、郵政民営化の是非を争点に自民党が圧勝している。今になって現総裁が、反対だったと明言しては、有権者は大いに戸惑うだろう。

Before Aso makes such remarks, he should present a revised plan based on careful examination. But even for the cabinet secretariat, his remarks probably struck like a bolt out of the blue. The remarks by the prime minister were unsubstantiated and careless.
　第一、こんな発言をするなら、入念な検証に基づく見直し案があってしかるべきだ。ところが、この答弁は、内閣官房すら寝耳に水だったようだ。首相の発言は、実体に乏しく、あまりに不用意にすぎたといえる。

After his comments, Aso offered explanations and excuses for his remarks. But this also stirred confusion. Koizumi criticized him, saying, "We cannot fight an election if there is no trust in the prime minister's words." This criticism is valid.
　その後、首相は釈明の答弁を続けたが、これも、混迷に拍車をかけた。「首相の発言に信頼がなければ、選挙が戦えない」と、小泉元首相から批判されたのも、仕方のないことだろう。

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Rebellion a possibility

Also, concerning the distribution of cash benefits in the second supplementary budget, Aso has repeated remarks that appear to be an attempt to retract what he said.
　首相は、第２次補正予算に盛られている定額給付金の支給に関しても、前言を翻すような発言を重ねてきた。

For the first time, the approval rating of Aso's Cabinet has fallen below 20 percent, according to a Yomiuri Shimbun survey conducted this month. Aso's careless words and actions over the cash handout scheme and postal privatization can be seen as contributing significantly to this low approval rating.
　今月の本社世論調査では、麻生内閣の支持率が２割を切った。定額給付金や郵政民営化をめぐる首相の軽はずみな言動が、大きく響いているとみていい。

If its approval rating drops further, the Aso Cabinet will have little hope of implementing its policies. The prime minister needs to be more prudent in future to avoid remarks that will make the voters question his qualifications and wisdom.
　これ以上、支持率を低下させては、政策遂行もおぼつかなくなる。首相は、資質や見識を疑わせる発言を繰り返すことのないよう、自重自戒してもらいたい。

Koizumi expressed reservations over having bills related to the second supplementary budget cleared through the Diet using the ruling parties' two-thirds majority in the lower house in a second vote. "I don't think the bills are such that they need to be passed using the two-thirds majority," he said.
　小泉元首相は、定額給付金などの補正予算関連法案について、衆院の３分の２以上の再可決で「成立させなくてはならないとは思ってない」と異議を表明した。

Koizumi, however, voted for the related bills for the supplementary budget at the lower house. His remarks, which could embolden younger LDP lawmakers and others to rise in rebellion, only invite confusion in the Diet.
　だが、関連法案の衆院採決では、小泉元首相も賛成したはずではなかったか。自民党の若手議員らの造反を誘うかのような発言は、国会に混乱を招くだけだ。

It is necessary to swiftly implement economic pump-priming and employment measures. The LDP cannot afford to waste time on internal strife over the postal privatization issue.
　景気や雇用対策の早急な実行が求められている。“郵政政局”に費やす時間はないはずだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 14, 2009)
（2009年2月14日01時30分 読売新聞）