社説：「鳩山内閣」人事 脱官僚が命運を握る

(Mainichi Japan) September 8, 2009
Fate of DPJ-led administration hinges on whether it can bring about reform
社説：「鳩山内閣」人事　脱官僚が命運を握る

Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) leader Yukio Hatoyama, who is set to be elected prime minister and launch his administration in mid-September, has selected candidates for key Cabinet ministers. Acting leader Naoto Kan will be named as deputy prime minister and state minister overseeing the National Strategy Bureau, while Secretary-General Katsuya Okada will be appointed as foreign minister. Hirofumi Hirano, a close aide to Hatoyama, will assume the post of chief Cabinet secretary.
　「鳩山内閣」の主要閣僚人事が固まってきた。鳩山由紀夫・民主党代表が選択した布陣は、副総理兼国家戦略局担当相に菅直人代表代行、外相には岡田克也幹事長、官房長官には鳩山氏の側近である平野博文役員室長をそれぞれ起用するというものだ。

DPJ chief election strategist Ichiro Ozawa is set to take the post of party secretary-general. Hatoyama has apparently decided to appoint influential DPJ members to key posts in his administration to wipe away the public's concern about the upcoming transfer of power while giving consideration to the balance between intraparty factions. His appointments should be regarded as appropriate.
先に決定した小沢一郎代表代行の幹事長就任も含め、鳩山氏は党内のバランスを考慮すると同時に、政権交代に対する国民の不安を解消するため、党内の実力者を配置したとみられる。まずは順当な人事といっていいのではないか。

Particularly noteworthy is the expected appointment of Kan as state minister in charge of the National Strategy Bureau. It will be the key government organization that the DPJ will set up to transform the bureaucrat-dominated government into one led by politicians. The bureau is supposed to draft the outline of state budget drafts and work out basic diplomatic policies. The fate of the new administration hinges on whether the bureau will properly function and fundamentally reform the policy-making process.
　中でも注目されるのは新しく設置する国家戦略局の担当相に菅氏が就任することだ。予算の骨格や政策の優先順位、外交の基本方針をこの新組織で決めるという戦略局は、「脱官僚主導」「脱官僚依存」を目指すという民主党の目玉組織であり、この新組織がうまく機能し、政策決定の仕組みを根本的に変えられるかどうかが、新政権の命運を握っているといってもいいからだ。

Since establishment of the bureau requires legal revisions, it will be officially launched after the Diet passes relevant bills into law at an extraordinary session to be convened in October. With the establishment of the bureau, the DPJ appears to be considering revamping the vertically divided administrative setup and transferring the authority to compile state budget drafts from the Finance Ministry to the prime minister's office. The party is studying a plan to appoint DPJ legislators, policymakers within the party, bureaucrats and experts in the private sector as well as local government heads, such as mayors and governors, to the new body
　戦略局の設置には法改正が必要で、実際に始動するのは１０月召集予定の臨時国会で関連法が成立した後となり、具体的な制度設計もこれから詰めていくことになる。民主党は省庁の縦割り行政を改めると同時に、今の経済財政諮問会議は財務省主導だと総括し、同省の予算編成機能を官邸に移すことを考えているようだ。メンバーとして民主党の国会議員や党の政策スタッフ、官僚、民間の有識者に加え、自治体の首長らもかかわる構想が練られている。

Kan had served as health and welfare minister in the coalition government comprised of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the now defunct New Party Sakigake, and forced bureaucrats to uncover secret documents on mass infections of HIV through tainted blood products. He is expected to use his leadership ability to transform the bureaucrat-led government into one led by politicians. It is hoped that he will make full use of bureaucrats while working closely with Hatoyama.
　菅氏はかつて自社さ政権で厚相を務め、薬害エイズ問題ではそれまで隠されてきた関連資料を大臣主導で暴き出した経験を持つ。期待されているのはその突破力だろう。絶えず鳩山氏と連携を保ちながら、官僚の抵抗を排する、いや、官僚をしたたかに使いこなすことを目指してもらいたい。

Another focal point of the new administration is that Kan will double as chairman of the DPJ Policy Research Committee. His role is to reform the process of making policies through prior consultations between bureaucrats and LDP legislators who have influence at ministries and agencies concerned and ensure that the prime minister's office and the party will cooperate closely in working out policies.
　菅氏が党の政調会長を兼務するのも大きなポイントだ。そこには官僚と族議員の事前調整で実際の政策が決まってきた自民党政治の「二元構造」を転換し、首相官邸と党が一体となって政策決定を進めていく狙いがある。

Measures that a DPJ-led administration will take to transform the government into one led by politicians -- including abolition of meetings of administrative vice ministers at all ministries and agencies which had a huge influence on the Cabinet's decision-making -- should be highly appreciated.
閣議を事前に取り仕切ってきた事務次官会議の廃止などを含め、政治主導を目指して仕組みを変更していく点は大いに評価したい。

The DPJ will agree with the SDP and the People's New Party to form a coalition government and select candidates for all other Cabinet ministers before Hatoyama is elected prime minister at a special Diet session on Sept. 16.
　１６日の首相指名選挙を前に、社民党、国民新党との連立協議をまとめる一方で、他の閣僚人事も決まっていきそうだ。

The DPJ's reforms will never be totally completed only by changing the system on the surface. The DPJ's goal of transforming the bureaucrat-dominated administration into one led by legislators means that each individual DPJ legislator's ability will be tested. Hatoyama is expected to proactively appoint not only veteran politicians but also capable younger legislators to important posts to achieve these reforms.
言うまでもなく仕組みを変えさえすれば済む話ではない。脱官僚を目指すということは、民主党の個々の議員の能力が試されるということだ。鳩山氏には、実力のある中堅や若手も積極的に登用してもらいたい。

毎日新聞　2009年9月8日　東京朝刊