補正衆院通過 予算審議を速やかに進めよ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Jan. 14, 2009)

Budget deliberations should proceed apace

補正衆院通過　予算審議を速やかに進めよ（1月14日付・読売社説）

A second supplementary budget for fiscal 2008 and its related bills cleared the House of Representatives on Tuesday with majority support from the Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, New Komeito.

Given that economic recovery is the top priority for the nation, a vote on the extra budget must not be delayed, even though it includes a controversial cash handout plan.

　定額給付金という問題の多い政策を含む補正予算だが、景気回復を最優先するなら採決を遅らせるわけにはいかない。

　第２次補正予算案と関連法案が１３日、自民、公明両党の賛成多数で衆院を通過した。

Lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan boycotted the vote on the extra budget at the lower house plenary session, saying deliberations on it were insufficient.

　民主党は、審議が尽くされていないとして、補正予算案の採決に抗議し、衆院本会議では採決前に退席した。

With its passage at the lower house, the extra budget could be automatically enacted in 30 days without a vote at the House of Councillors.

　衆院通過により、補正予算は、参院で採決されなくても、３０日たてば自然成立する。

But to implement the cash handout and other measures, the related bills will have to be enacted.

ただ、定額給付金支給などを実施するには、関連法案の成立が必要になる。

If opposition parties do not vote on the bills, the ruling parties will have to pass them through a second vote using their two-thirds supermajority in the lower house, in line with the Constitution's so-called 60-day rule.

　与党は、野党が採決に応じない時は、憲法の「６０日ルール」に基づき、衆院の３分の２以上の多数による再可決を迫られる。

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DPJ should push its own ideas

The DPJ intends to continue pressing the ruling camp hard by claiming that the cash handout measure is foolish, with the aim of encouraging as many LDP lawmakers as possible to rebel against their party at the time of the second vote.

　民主党は今後も、定額給付金の「愚策」ぶりを際立たせ、いずれ再可決の際、自民党内から多数の造反を誘う狙いがあるようだ。

But even if the DPJ manages to delay the start of deliberations on the extra budget at the upper house due to its opposition to the cash handout plan, there certainly will be limitations to this tactic.

　だが、定額給付金問題で参院審議入りを遅らせたとしても、それはおのずと限界がある。

This is because it is an urgent task to pass the extra budget and the fiscal 2009 budget as soon as possible, in view of the economic downturn.

　目下の景気後退を考えれば、補正予算と２００９年度予算の早期成立は、喫緊の課題だからだ。

It would be a much wiser course of action for the DPJ to call on the government and ruling parties to discuss revisions to the extra budget by coming up with concrete alternatives while continuing to demand the removal of the 2 trillion yen cash handout plan.

　審議を通じ、約２兆円に上る定額給付金予算の削除要求に伴う代替案を明確に示し、政府・与党に修正を迫る。この方が、民主党にとってよほど賢明な策だろう。

If the DPJ refuses to take part in deliberations or delays them, those on the extra budget at the upper house will have to be conducted in parallel with those on the fiscal 2009 budget at the lower house.

　仮に、民主党が、審議拒否・遅延戦術をとるならば、参院の補正審議と同時に、衆院で０９年度予算審議も進める「並行審議」も、やむをえないところだ。

For their part, the government and ruling parties need to get their act together before deliberations on the fiscal 2009 budget start.

　政府・与党も、０９年度予算審議を前に、いま一度、態勢を立て直すことが求められる。

An opinion poll conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun recently showed that disapproval of Prime Minister Taro Aso's Cabinet exceeded 70 percent. Also, two out of three respondents did not positively evaluate measures to address the economic downturn that were included in the fiscal 2009 budget.

　本紙世論調査で、麻生内閣を「支持しない」人は、７割を超えた。３人に２人は、０９年度予算に盛り込まれた景気対策を「評価しない」と答えている。

The government and ruling parties should explain more carefully how they expect the budget to boost the economy.

　予算の景気浮揚効果について、政府・与党は、もっと丁寧に説明を尽くすことが大事だ。

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LDP must close ranks

Yoshimi Watanabe, former state minister in charge of administrative reform, who had been calling for an early dissolution of the lower house and the dropping of the cash handout proposal, submitted a letter conveying his wish to leave the LDP before the vote at the lower house's plenary session. The party accepted his resignation. It was a natural turn of events for Watanabe to leave the party, considering his arguments.

　早期の衆院解散や定額給付金の撤回などを求めていた渡辺喜美・元行政改革相が採決前、自民党に離党届を出し、受理された。渡辺氏の主張からすれば、離党は当然の帰結である。

Most of the points he made were similar to the DPJ's, and some observers saw his actions as traitorous. Many LDP lawmakers likely were put off by his aggressive anti-Aso rhetoric during his appearances on TV programs.

　渡辺氏の言い分の多くは民主党と重なり、「利敵行為」との受け止め方も少なくなかった。テレビ出演での行き過ぎた「反麻生パフォーマンス」に、辟易(へきえき)した自民党議員も多かったのではないか。

One LDP lawmaker abstained from the voting at the plenary session. The LDP cannot allow any more disruption in party unity. The party's executive bears a grave responsibility in this regard.

　ただ、衆院本会議の採決では自民党議員一人が棄権した。これ以上、党の結束を乱すわけにはいくまい。党執行部の責任は重い。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan. 14, 2009)

（2009年1月14日01時34分  読売新聞）