民主党代表選：出馬意欲の海江田氏にハードル 小沢グループ、支持まとまらず

(Mainichi Japan) August 9, 2010
Ozawa's silence on DPJ leadership race leaves faction members divided
民主党代表選：出馬意欲の海江田氏にハードル　小沢グループ、支持まとまらず

Former Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Secretary-General Ichiro Ozawa's silence on the upcoming DPJ leadership race has kept Ozawa faction party members divided about who they will support for the position of party chief.
（沈黙を守る小沢氏、党内の分裂を誘う。 translated in Japanese by srachai)

House of Representatives legislator Banri Kaieda, 61, who is also chairman of the upper house's financial affairs committee, is said to have told a legislator close to Ozawa that he is considering running for party chief. However, Ozawa -- a figure who can have great impact on the outcome of the election -- has yet to endorse a candidate, and it is unclear whether intraparty groups critical of Prime Minister Naoto Kan will be able to agree on a candidate.
　民主党代表選（９月１日告示、１４日投開票）の構図が固まらない。海江田万里衆院財務金融委員長（６１）が出馬の意欲を小沢一郎前幹事長に近い議員に伝えていたことが７日、分かったが、菅直人首相への対抗馬擁立のカギを握る肝心の小沢氏が沈黙を続けているからだ。菅首相への批判を強める「反菅」の動きが一本化されるかは不透明だ。【念佛明奈】

Kaieda will attend a study session to be held in Nagano Prefecture on Aug. 19 by members of former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's faction, of which he is one, after which he will visit several European countries, including Greece. Prime Minister Kan has often pointed to "the crisis in Greece" when discussing the issue of financial reconstruction in Japan, and Kaieda's stop there is believed to be in response to that.
　海江田氏は自身が所属する鳩山由紀夫前首相のグループが１９日に長野県軽井沢町で開く研修会に出席後、ギリシャなど欧州を訪問する。財政再建問題でたびたび「ギリシャ危機」を持ち出す菅首相を意識した行動だ。

A legislator close to Kaieda, however, says that Kaieda's candidacy for party chief "will not move forward without Ozawa's endorsement." Indeed, Kaieda appears to have told legislators close to Ozawa about the possibility of running for party president in an attempt to feel out whether Ozawa would accept him as a rival candidate to Kan.
　しかし、「まず小沢氏が推してくれない限り話は進まない」と海江田氏に近い議員は説明する。海江田氏が小沢グループの議員らに意欲を伝えたのも、小沢氏が海江田氏を「菅氏対抗馬」として認知するかを探る狙いがある。

It does not appear, however, that the Ozawa faction is ready to throw its weight behind Kaieda. Some members still hope that Ozawa himself will run. A legislator close to Ozawa hinted at such a possibility on July 30, to which the former secretary-general merely responded, "We must lay down a structure that will allow us to keep the promises we made in the manifesto that helped to bring about a regime change."
　小沢グループ内は、まだ「海江田支持」でまとまる状況ではない。グループの一部にはなお小沢氏本人の出馬を期待する声がある。小沢氏に近い議員は先月３０日、同氏の意向をそれとなく探ったが、小沢氏は「政権交代したマニフェストで約束したことをちゃんと守れる体制にしなくてはいけない」と言うだけだった。

Kaieda has a dilemma on his hands, too. An independent judicial panel is set to hand down a second decision this coming fall over charges of false financial reporting by Ozawa's political fund management body. As this could potentially lead to Ozawa's indictment, tensions are running high within the party. As such, emphasizing his ties to Ozawa too much will make it difficult for Kaieda to attain wide support.
　海江田氏にもジレンマがある。「小沢系」の色が強く出過ぎれば、幅広い支持は得にくくなる。小沢氏は強制起訴につながる可能性がある検察審査会の２回目の議決を秋に控えており、党内の懸念が強いためだ。

It would be ideal for Kaieda if he could garner support from various factions in the party, including the Hatoyama faction. Hatoyama, however, has thus far stuck by his decision to offer conditional support to Kan.
海江田氏としては、鳩山グループを含め、党内の複数のグループから推される形をとりたいところだが、鳩山氏は首相続投の「条件付き支持」という両面作戦の構えを崩していない。

The election for DPJ president is set to be announced on Sept. 1, with voting to take place on Sept. 14.
(選挙は来る9月1日に公示、14日に投票が行われる。　translated into Japanese by srachai)

毎日新聞　2010年8月8日　東京朝刊