輿石民主幹事長 野田首相の政策実現へ動け

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Sep. 1, 2011)
Koshiishi must get Noda's policies implemented
輿石民主幹事長　野田首相の政策実現へ動け（8月31日付・読売社説）

New Democratic Party of Japan President Yoshihiko Noda was named Tuesday as the nation's prime minister to head the 95th cabinet.
We can sense Noda is trying to form an administration whose members are united and all pulling in the same direction like a baseball team, which is different from the administrations of his predecessors.
But will this be possible considering the DPJ has repeatedly been rocked by internal rifts?
　これまでとは違う「全員野球」の政治を実現したい。そんな意欲は感じられるが、内輪もめを繰り返してきた民主党に可能だろうか。

Noda has informally decided to appoint Azuma Koshiishi, chairman of the DPJ caucus in the House of Councillors, as the party's secretary general, and former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara as chairman of the party's Policy Research Committee.
　民主党の野田佳彦代表が第９５代首相に指名された。野田氏は、党運営の要である幹事長に輿石東参院議員会長、政調会長に前原誠司前外相を内定した。

It is extremely rare for an upper house member to serve as secretary general of a ruling party, a very important post.
　参院議員が政権党の幹事長を務めるのは極めて異例だ。

Koshiishi is close to former DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa.
By placing Koshiishi in a prime post, Noda apparently is trying to end the intraparty conflict between "pro-Ozawa" and "anti-Ozawa" members--frictions that surfaced during the DPJ presidential race--and build a united party.
　小沢一郎元代表に近い輿石氏の起用は、代表選で露呈した「親小沢」「反小沢」の党内対立に終止符を打ち、挙党態勢を構築する狙いがある。

It substantiates Noda's call to have no hard feelings after the election.
野田氏の言う「ノーサイド」の具体化だ。

The new Noda administration will face a mountain of important issues--including a review of the DPJ's election promises, which are full of dole-out policies; tax increases to secure funds for disaster reconstruction and social security reform; and possible participation in negotiations of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement.
　野田新政権は、バラマキ政策に満ちた政権公約（マニフェスト）の見直しや、震災復興や社会保障改革の財源確保のための増税、環太平洋経済連携協定（ＴＰＰ）参加などの重要課題を抱えている。

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Useful ties with LDP, Komeito

In the DPJ presidential election, Noda made arguments supporting those issues.
However, outgoing Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Banri Kaieda and the other candidates opposed them. 　いずれも野田氏が代表選で主張してきたが、海江田万里経済産業相らは異論を唱えた。

Koshiishi, who backed Kaieda in the election, will be tested on whether he can smooth over differing opinions among party members and get these policy measures implemented.
今後、いかに党内の意見を集約し、これらの政策を実現するか、海江田氏を推した輿石氏の手腕が問われる。

Koshiishi has long been a facilitator of DPJ upper house members and has strong connections with the major opposition Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito.
　輿石氏は、参院民主党のまとめ役を長く務め、自民、公明など野党とのパイプもある。

We think he should use his skills to enact the third supplementary budget for disaster restoration as quickly as possible in the so-called divided Diet, where the opposition controls the upper house.
衆参ねじれ国会の下で、震災復興のための第３次補正予算案などの早期成立にも力を発揮すべきだ。

Meanwhile, Maehara is an expert in foreign and security policies, and of the same generation as Noda.
The two have a cooperative relationship.
　一方、前原氏は、外交・安全保障政策に詳しく、野田氏と同じ世代で、協力関係にある。

Noda apparently tapped Maehara to be the party's policy research chief in a bid to keep a balance with Koshiishi, a senior politician.
ベテランの輿石氏とのバランスも考慮したと見られる。

In the party leadership race, Maehara advocated a review of the Policy Research Committee.
He wanted more party lawmakers involved in the policy-making process.
This fits in with Noda's plan to form a united team.
　前原氏は代表選で、政策調査会の見直しを掲げていた。より多くの議員を政策決定過程に参加させるのが狙いで、野田氏の「全員野球」の方針とも合致する。

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Review of policy panel

Noda has decided not to make the party's policy research chief double as a cabinet minister, but to demand the government in principle seek his consent in making a decision.
　野田氏は、党政調会長には閣僚を兼務させない一方、政府の意思決定には「政調会長の了承を原則とする」方針を示した。

This apparently is intended to enhance the functions of the party's Policy Research Committee and have its opinions reflected in government policies.
党の政調機能を強化し、政府の政策に反映させる狙いがあるのだろう。

Under the government of outgoing Prime Minister Naoto Kan, when decisions were made on integrated reform of the social security and tax systems, and the basic policy on disaster restoration, some DPJ members opposed them and demanded revisions to the government plans. This caused constant confusion.
　ただ、菅政権では、社会保障と税の一体改革や、震災復興の基本方針を決定する際、政府案に党側が反対し、修正を求めるといった混乱が続いた。

Simply involving more lawmakers in the policy-making process might cause delays in decisions on policies such as tax hikes, which some lawmakers, including Ozawa supporters, have resisted.
　単に多くの議員が政策決定に関与するだけでは、増税など、小沢系を中心に抵抗感のある政策を先送りする結果になりかねない。

It is important to make conclusions properly based on constructive discussions.
建設的な議論を踏まえ、きちんと結論を出すことが大切だ。

Question marks remain over whether a revamp of the DPJ's policy research panel, an attempt to create a policy-coordination mechanism between the government and the ruling party, will work well.
　政府と与党との間の政策調整メカニズムを新たに築く試みがうまくいくかどうか。

That will be an important hurdle the new administration must clear.
新政権にとって重要なハードルである。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 31, 2011)
（2011年8月31日01時20分 読売新聞）