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普天間移設 年内決着へ首相は再考せよ


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The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 4, 2009)
Resolve Futenma issue by year-end
普天間移設 年内決着へ首相は再考せよ(12月4日付・読売社説)

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama reportedly has decided to give up on settling the issue of the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station within Okinawa Prefecture this year.
 米海兵隊普天間飛行場の移設問題で、鳩山首相が年内決着を断念する意向を固めたという。

Hatoyama's decision apparently stems from a desire to avoid ructions in the coalition government his Democratic Party of Japan formed with the Social Democratic Party and the People's New Party. Hatoyama is unable to escape the fact that the SDP opposes the current relocation plan, and that the PNP also takes a dim view of it.
 現行計画に反対する社民党や、それに同調する国民新党に配慮し、連立政権の維持を優先するためだとされる。

Hatoyama has reiterated that the agreement made between Tokyo and Washington on the relocation carries weight and that the feelings of the people in the prefecture should be respected. An early resolution to the issue with the current relocation plan is earnestly sought by the U.S. government, the Okinawa prefectural government as well as the Nago city government, which is where the base's facilities would be relocated. We think Hatoyama should rethink his stance on this matter.
 鳩山首相は従来、「日米の合意は重い」「沖縄の思いが大事」などと繰り返してきた。米国も、沖縄県も、移設先の名護市も、現行計画による早期決着を切実に求めている。首相は再考すべきだ。

In a summit meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama last month, Hatoyama agreed to "expeditiously" resolve the issue. Hatoyama even told Obama to "trust" him on the dispute. Ensuing ministerial-level working group talks then tried to smooth coordination in line with the current relocation plan.
If a decision will not be reached this year, what was the point of all these get-togethers and discussions?
 首相は日米首脳会談で「迅速な解決」に合意し、「私を信頼して」とまで見えを切った。その後、日米の閣僚級の作業部会で、県内移設の現行計画を軸に調整を急いできたのは、何だったのか。


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Strained ties

The U.S. government's distrust of the prime minister and the Japanese government will certainly deepen due to this to-ing and fro-ing. The incentive at the working group talks to produce a positive result likely will evaporate. The adverse impact on the overall Japan-U.S. relationship could be immeasurable.
 米政府が今後、首相と日本政府に対して、不信感を一段と募らせるのは確実だ。作業部会で前向きの結論を出す機運も低下するだろう。日米関係全体に与える悪影響は計り知れない。

Hatoyama's postponement of a final decision until early next year or later is unlikely to result in any concrete scenario for the resolution of the issue.
 結論を年明け以降に先送りしても、問題の解決に向けて、その後の具体的な展望が首相にあるとは思えない。

A Nago mayoral election is scheduled to be held in late January. The incumbent, who has accepted the current plan, is running against a first-time candidate who has given it the thumbs-down. If the incumbent fails to win reelection, calls for moving the base outside the prefecture would grow louder, a situation that would leave the Okinawa prefectural government between a rock and a hard place.
 1月下旬に予定される名護市長選では、現行計画を容認する現職に、反対派の新人が挑戦する。仮に現職が敗れれば、県外移設を求める声が広がり、沖縄県の立場はより苦しくなるだろう。

Hatoyama himself admitted at a joint press conference with Obama after their summit meeting that resolving this issue will only become more difficult the longer it is left to simmer. The prime minister must not continue his expedient approach. If the current plan is shelved, the envisaged return of the Futenma facilities by 2014 would be left up in the air.
 首相自身、首脳会談後の共同記者会見で、「時間がたてば、より解決が難しくなる」と認めたはずだ。その場しのぎの対応を続けるべきではない。現行計画が頓挫すれば、2014年の普天間飛行場の返還が宙に浮く。

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DPJ should pull rank

SDP leader Mizuho Fukushima has indicated her party might leave the coalition if the government decides to go ahead with the current plan.
 社民党の福島党首は、政府が現行計画を決定した場合、政権を離脱する可能性を示唆している。

The prime minister should do everything he can to convince the SDP that the issue must be settled by year-end under the current plan to reduce the burdens on communities that host the U.S. base and to ensure the security alliance with the United States remains solid.
 首相が今すべきは、日米同盟を堅持しつつ、地元の基地負担を軽減するためには、現行計画での年内決着が不可欠だと、社民党を真剣に説得することだ。

If the SDP refuses to back down and eventually splits from the coalition, the administration would be shaken up for some time. However, it would not be an insurmountable nuisance for the government.
 社民党が説得に応じず、連立政権を離脱した場合、一時的に政権運営は不安定になるが、乗り切れないほどではあるまい。

The DPJ holds more than 300 seats in the 480-seat House of Representatives, and is just shy of a majority in the House of Councillors.
 民主党は、衆院では300議席超を占める。参院でも過半数にわずかに届かないだけだ。

The SDP and the PNP each have only five seats in the upper house. The DPJ must not jeopardize landmark measures designed to reduce the burden imposed on Okinawa Prefecture by hosting U.S. bases, or the Japan-U.S. relationship, by cowering to two minor coalition partners.
 参院で各5議席ずつしかない社民、国民新の両党に配慮するあまり、画期的な沖縄の基地負担軽減策や日米関係を危うくするのは、避ける必要がある。

The Hatoyama administration also might find it worthwhile to call on the Liberal Democratic Party and other opposition forces to cooperate on key bills and policies to keep the wheels of administration management turning smoothly.
 重要な法案や政策については、自民党など野党に個別に協力を要請し、連携するといった工夫をすることで、政権を運営していく手法も十分検討に値しよう。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 4, 2009)
(2009年12月4日01時49分 読売新聞)
by kiyoshimat | 2009-12-04 08:48 | 英字新聞

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