社説：内閣支持激減 「もう任せられない」が世論だ

(Mainichi Japan) December 8, 2008

Approval rating shows public thinks it cannot leave fate of country to Aso Cabinet

社説：内閣支持激減　「もう任せられない」が世論だ

The approval rating for the Cabinet of Prime Minister Taro Aso plummeted to 21 percent less than three months after it was inaugurated. The opinion poll the Mainichi Shimbun conducted over the weekend shows that the approval rating fell 15 points from October and the disapproval rating hit 58 percent. As politics under the leadership of Aso is drifting, the government appears as if it is on the verge of collapse.

　発足以来３カ月足らずで麻生内閣の支持率が２１％に落ち込んだ。毎日新聞が６、７日に実施した全国世論調査によると支持率は１０月から１５ポイントもダウンし、不支持は５８％に達した。麻生太郎首相の下で現実に行われている政治の迷走ぶりも深刻で、もはや政権は末期的症状を呈し始めているといっていい。

Amid the worsening economic situation such as employment insecurity, we express concern that the prime minister who cannot win public support is remaining in office with no clear prospects of achieving his policy goals. We would like to call for an early dissolution of the House of Representatives for a snap general election.

　雇用不安など経済状況が一段と厳しくなる中、国民の支持を得られない首相が今後も漫然と政権を担当し続けることを私たちは憂慮する。改めて早期の衆院解散・総選挙を求めたい。

His latest support rating is close to 18 percent, the worst figure for the Cabinet of his predecessor Yasuo Fukuda recorded in May. As to a question about who is more suited to serve as prime minister, those who chose Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) leader Ichiro Ozawa slightly outnumbered those who were in favor of Aso, even though Aso had garnered support from twice the number of those who were in favor of Ozawa in earlier polls. The results have apparently dealt a serious blow to the prime minister.

　支持率２１％は政権を投げ出した福田前内閣の最低水準１８％（今年５月）にほぼ匹敵する。これまでは「麻生首相と小沢一郎民主党代表のどちらが首相にふさわしいと思うか」の質問では、麻生首相が倍以上、上回っていたが、今回は小沢氏がわずかながら逆転した。これも首相には痛手だ。

The steep decline in his approval rating is attributable to inconsistencies in his remarks about the government's plans to provide cash benefits to virtually all households and to incorporate road construction into the general budget. His gaffes that show a lack of consideration to other people and his mistakes in reading kanji (Chinese characters) are also believed to be contributing to his loss of public support.

　支持激減の理由は定額給付金や道路特定財源の一般財源化などの方針や発言がぶれたり、ふらついたりしていることだろう。それに他者への配慮を著しく欠いた失言や漢字の誤読が拍車をかけていると思われる。

In fact, 70 percent of the pollees said they do not support the government's plan to provide cash benefits to households, and 61 percent disapproved of Aso's decision to postpone the submission of the draft of the second supplementary budget to the next regular Diet session in January.

　実際、調査では定額給付金を「評価しない」と答えた人が７０％に達し、第２次補正予算案提出を通常国会に先送りした点も６１％が「支持しない」と答えた。

Many people are apparently doubtful about the prime minister's policies and his ability to manage the government, and are beginning to feel that they can no longer leave the fate of the nation to the Aso Cabinet.

多くの国民は首相が掲げる政策や政権運営そのものに疑義を抱き、「もはや、この内閣に任せておけない」と不安すら感じ始めているのではなかろうか。

Aso is also losing support from a growing number of LDP members, but the prime minister is not solely to blame for that. As a question as to which party they want to win the next House of Representatives election, respondents who answered the DPJ outnumbered those in favor the LDP by a larger margin than earlier polls even though those who back the DPJ did not increase. This apparently reflects the public's criticism of the LDP for not supporting the administration once the prime minister's popularity showed signs of decline.

　自民党内でも既に「麻生離れ」が進んでいるが、責任は首相にだけあるのではない。次期衆院選で自民、民主のどちらに勝ってほしいかとの質問では、民主党も伸びてはいないものの、自民党はさらに差をつけられた。首相の人気が落ちると一転、政権を支えなくなる党側の無責任さにも国民の厳しい目が向けられている表れといえるだろう。

One cannot but wonder whether the results of the opinion poll will further discourage Prime Minister Aso from calling a general election at an early date and whether the LDP will try to tide over the headwind simply by holding another leadership election and replace the prime minister. In any case, it is highly likely that the ruling coalition will be thrown into chaos and become unable to implement bold economic stimulus measures.

　今回の結果により麻生首相はますます衆院選を遠ざけようとするのだろうか。一方、自民党には再度、総裁選を行い首相交代でしのごうという動きが出てくるのだろうか。いずれにせよ政権与党は混乱し、思い切った経済対策どころではなくなる可能性が大きい。

The prime minister should take seriously public opinion that had been supportive of his stance to place priority on efforts to save the economy rather than a general election is gradually changing. The largest percentage of the respondents in the latest Mainichi poll called for an immediate dissolution of the Lower House. And a majority of the pollees are in favor of dissolution by next spring at the latest.

　だが、これまで「選挙より景気対策」との首相の姿勢に一定の理解を示していた世論に変化が出ている点を重く受け止めた方がいい。衆院選の時期について今回は「直ちに解散」と答えた人が最も多く、遅くとも来春までにとの声が大半だった。

This shows that numerous people regard the drifting political situation, rather than dissolution of the Lower House, as a political vacuum. The prime minister and the ruling coalition as a whole should listen to the public's outcry. We believe it is the best for the government to incorporate economic stimulus measures that can be supported by both the ruling and opposition parties into the second supplementary budget bill, and have them clear the Diet at an early date before the prime minister dissolves the Lower House to seek voters' response to the measures.

　それは迷走を続ける今の状況こそ政治空白だと少なからぬ国民が考えているからだろう。首相も与党もこの悲鳴に近い声に耳を傾けるべきである。この際、与野党で一致できる経済対策を第２次補正に盛り込んで早急に成立させたうえで、解散し、有権者の信を仰ぐのが一番有効と考える。

毎日新聞　2008年12月8日　東京朝刊