予算きょう成立 まだ懸案の処理が残っている

The Yomiuri Shimbun May 16, 2013
Diet set to pass FY13 budget, but many important bills still pending
予算きょう成立　まだ懸案の処理が残っている（5月15日付・読売社説）

The Diet is set to pass the fiscal 2013 budget Wednesday. The general account budget totaling 92.6 trillion yen is expected to be rejected by the House of Councillors due to objections from opposition parties, but a constitutional provision stipulating the supremacy of the House of Representatives will be applied to pass the budget.
　２０１３年度予算がきょう成立する。一般会計総額９２・６兆円の予算案は、参院では野党の反対により否決される見通しだが、憲法の衆院優越規定が適用される。

Together, the supplementary budget for fiscal 2012 that was passed in February and the fiscal 2013 budget are called a collective "15-month budget." The government should steadily implement this budget to end deflation and revitalize the nation's economy, both of which are goals of Abenomics, the economic policies of the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
　２月に成立した１２年度補正予算と合わせて「１５か月予算」と位置付けられる。着実な執行により、安倍政権の経済政策「アベノミクス」の目指すデフレ脱却と経済再生を確かなものにしたい。

After passing the fiscal 2013 budget, the government must develop a growth strategy, the "third arrow" of Abenomics to be compiled in June. It must also draw up a basic policy for economic and fiscal reform.
　予算成立後の政府の課題は、６月に「３本目の矢」としてまとめる成長戦略と、「経済財政改革の基本方針（骨太の方針）」だ。

How should the issues of sustainable growth and restoration of fiscal health in the mid- and long term be balanced? This may become a point of contention in the upcoming upper house election.
　持続的な成長と、中長期的な財政健全化の両立をいかに図るか。参院選の争点にもなろう。

Address vote-value disparities

Following passage of the fiscal 2013 budget, the focus of attention at the close of the current Diet session will shift to other pressing bills.
　予算成立に伴い、終盤国会では重要法案の処理が焦点となる。

Above all, to rectify vote-value disparities, lawmakers must quickly deliberate a bill on rezoning single-seat constituencies in the lower house to realize a "plus-zero, minus-five" plan, which proposes the number of seats be cut by five.
　中でも、「１票の格差」を是正するため、衆院小選挙区定数の「０増５減」を実現する区割り法案の審議を急がねばならない。

It is only natural for the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito to say passing the bill ahead of further reforms is the minimum responsibility of the legislature. The parties are poised to push the bill through even if a second vote is forced in the lower house.
　自民、公明両党が、区割り法案の先行成立を立法府としての最低限の責務だとしているのはもっともである。衆院で再可決してでも成立させる構えだ。

On the other hand, opposition forces such as the Democratic Party of Japan insist correction of vote-value disparities and a substantial reduction in the number of lower house seats should be realized simultaneously. Although three weeks have passed since the bill was submitted to the upper house, there still remains no prospect for initiating deliberations on it.
　これに対し、民主党など野党は、格差是正と定数の大幅削減の一体決着を主張する。法案の参院送付から３週間もたつのに、審議入りのメドすら立っていない。

Because parties' opinions widely differ over sweeping reform of the electoral system, it will be difficult to reach a conclusion on the matter during the current Diet session.
　選挙制度の抜本改革について各党の主張はバラバラで、今国会中に結論を出すのは困難だ。

The DPJ and other opposition parties' refusal to accomplish more readily attainable tasks first and insistence on adhering to reaching principles is extremely irresponsible.
　まずできることに取り組まず、原則論ばかりを唱える民主党などの姿勢は無責任に過ぎる。

Another urgent task is the enactment of a bill to revise the Public Offices Election Law to grant adults under guardianship the right to vote. Passage of the bill is necessary before the upper house election this summer.
　このほか、成年後見人が付いた人にも選挙権を認める公職選挙法改正案の成立も急務だ。夏の参院選に間に合わせる必要がある。

Additionally, the Diet is tasked with passing the so-called My Number bill to introduce a system that would assign a unique identification number to residents nationwide, which is aimed at improving social security services and ensuring efficient tax collection. Another bill related to the Hague Convention also must be enacted.
　社会保障サービスの充実と徴税効率化を図るための共通番号制度関連法案（マイナンバー法案）や、ハーグ条約の関連法案なども確実に成立を図らねばならない。

Social security reform urgent

Meanwhile, talks on reforming the social security system between the LDP and Komeito and the DPJ have become stagnant.
　一方、自公民３党の社会保障制度改革の協議は停滞している。

The LDP and Komeito are seeking to improve the pension system by altering the current system. In contrast, the DPJ is demanding drastic reforms such as the introduction of a guaranteed minimum pension. The party is clearly trying to make pension system reform a major subject of debate in the upper house election.
　年金制度を巡っては、自公両党が現行制度の修正による改革を目指している。これに対し、民主党は相変わらず最低保障年金導入など抜本的見直しを主張し、参院選の争点にしようとしている。

If politicians cannot come to a decision, it will be difficult for legislative measures to be taken by Aug. 21, as required under the law to promote social security system reform. Discussions within the government's National Council on Social Security System Reform, which was established based on an agreement between the LDP and Komeito and the DPJ last year, will also remain stalled.
　政治の意思決定がなければ、社会保障制度改革推進法が求める８月２１日までの「法制上の措置」を講じることは難しい。昨年の３党合意で設置した政府の社会保障制度改革国民会議の議論も宙に浮くことになる。

The three parties should clarify once more how they will advance reform.
　改革をどう進めていくのか、３党は改めて明確にすべきだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, May 15, 2013)
（2013年5月15日01時35分  読売新聞）