社説：鳩山ＶＳ岡田 勝敗は政見で決せよ

(Mainichi Japan) May 15, 2009
DPJ leadership candidates should compete on policies
社説：鳩山ＶＳ岡田　勝敗は政見で決せよ

The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) leadership election on Saturday will be a duel between Secretary-General Yukio Hatoyama and deputy leader Katsuya Okada. Most legislators close to outgoing leader Ichiro Ozawa are supporting Hatoyama while younger politicians who distance themselves from Ozawa played a key role in fielding Okada. It is virtually a race between pro- and anti-Ozawa politicians within the largest opposition party.
　国民の目に魅力ある戦いとせねばならない。小沢一郎代表の辞任表明に伴う民主党代表選は鳩山由紀夫幹事長と岡田克也副代表による一騎打ちの構図が固まった。小沢氏のグループが鳩山氏を支持する一方、岡田氏は小沢氏と距離を置く中堅・若手が擁立の中心となり「親小沢ＶＳ非小沢」勢力の対決色が強まっている。

The leadership election will select the party's candidate for prime minister as the next general election for the powerful House of Representatives is to be held before September.
If party members elect their next leader only by whether the candidates are pro- or anti-Ozawa, the race would not be worthy of being called a prelude to the general election that will choose the next government. Even though the campaign period is short, both candidates are obligated to compete on policies to show whether they are capable of taking over the reins of government. The party's ability -- in terms of both its policies and its management -- is being tested in the leadership race.
　今代表選は次の衆院選に向け首相候補を決める舞台であり、派閥的なグループの連携や小沢氏との距離感で新代表を選んでは、政権選択の前哨戦の名が泣く。１６日の投票を控え選挙期間は限られるが、政権を担い得るかの政見を両候補は競う責務がある。政策、体質とも党の力量が問われる局面である。

At their respective news conferences on Thursday, both Hatoyama and Okada declared that they will endeavor to maintain and strengthen the unity of the party following the race.
　鳩山、岡田両氏とも１４日の記者会見では、代表選後の挙党態勢の構築に努める姿勢を示した。

Hatoyama, backed by members of his own intraparty group and Ozawa's group, is expected to garner more votes than Okada. He pledged to take over Ozawa's policies saying, "The path that leader Ozawa has taken wasn't wrong." He also said if elected party leader, he would ask Ozawa to play an important role in the campaign for the general election.
　鳩山氏は、同氏や小沢氏のグループなどが推し、基礎票で優位とみられている。記者会見では「小沢代表の歩んだ道は間違っていなかった」と路線踏襲を強調、同氏の処遇についても「選挙でしっかり仕事をしてほしい」と期待を示した。

Hatoyama dismissed concern expressed by some party members that he will lead the party under directions from Ozawa. "Nobody should call me a 'puppet leader.'"
一方で「小沢院政」が敷かれる懸念が出ていることに「かいらい政権だと呼ばれるつもりはない」と反論した。

In a recent Mainichi poll, the number of those who said Okada is more suitable to lead the DPJ is almost twice that for Hatoyama, and Okada is aiming to show that he can appeal more to voters during the Lower House race.
　岡田氏は毎日新聞の世論調査で代表にふさわしいと名を挙げた人が鳩山氏の倍近くあり、「選挙の顔」としての優位さをアピールしている。

Okada has revealed a new slogan, "A political party open to the people." He emphasized he would ensure that all party members will maintain their unity to battle in the general election if he becomes party leader, but stopped short of saying whether he would appoint Ozawa to any important post in the party.
「オープンで国民に開かれた政党」を掲げ、代表就任の際の小沢氏処遇については「全員野球」を強調しつつ、明言を避けた。

It is regrettable that there was only limited time for open policy debates as DPJ members of both houses of the Diet are scheduled to cast their ballots only five days after Ozawa announced his intention to resign. The public would be disappointed if the DPJ elects its next leader in an inward-looking manner while even the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) holds an open campaign for its presidential elections by holding public debates. DPJ legislators are urged to explain their selection of candidates to party members. The DPJ Okayama prefectural chapter's plan to interview rank-and-file party members and registered supporters on the phone over which candidate should lead the party is one of such efforts.
　小沢氏の辞任表明から５日後の１６日の両院議員総会の投票による短期決着となり、オープンな政策論争を行う期間が限られたことは、残念だと改めて指摘したい。自民党ですら意識的に公開討論など開かれた総裁選びを進める中、内向きな代表選びに終わっては国民は興ざめだ。投票する国会議員は、その選択を党員らに説明することが望ましい。岡山県連は党員・サポーターの意向を電話で聞く予備調査を行うことを決めた。こうした工夫も一法だろう。

It is also problematic that there hardly appear to be any differences in basic policies between the two candidates as they have agreed to ban corporate political donations from 2012 -- the key issue in problems involving politics and money. Hatoyama said no discussion should be held on a consumption tax hike for now. Okada has pointed to the possibility that the consumption tax will be used exclusively to finance public pension programs while saying it is difficult for the foreseeable future to raise the indirect tax levied virtually on all goods and services. They should hold in-depth debates on the issue.
　「政治とカネ」をめぐる焦点である企業・団体献金の禁止時期について両氏とも「３年後」で歩調をそろえるなど、本筋の政策で違いが見えにくいことも気がかりだ。消費税率引き上げについて鳩山氏は「議論すらすべきでない」と語った。岡田氏は引き上げは当面困難との見解を示しつつ、持論である年金目的税化に言及した。論争を深めてほしい。

The Mainichi poll suggests that 66 percent of the public believes that Ozawa's resignation came too late and that 83 percent believe that Ozawa has not fulfilled his accountability for a political donation scandal involving one of his aides. The DPJ cannot overcome its setback as a result of the scandal and go on the offensive if it misreads the public's critical opinion.
　毎日新聞の世論調査では、小沢氏辞任に６６％が「遅すぎた」、８３％が説明責任を果たしていないと答えた。厳しい国民の視線を見誤っては、党の反転攻勢はできない。

毎日新聞　2009年5月15日　東京朝刊