DPJ must be responsible, live up to expectations
民主党政権実現 変化への期待と重責に応えよ(8月31日付・読売社説)
People's dissatisfaction with the Liberal Democratic Party's politics and their expectation that a new administration led by the Democratic Party of Japan can bring "change" has ushered in a historic change in power in this country.
自民党政治に対する不満と、民主党政権誕生による「変化」への期待が歴史的な政権交代をもたらした。
The DPJ romped to a landslide victory in the House of Representatives election Sunday, handing the LDP its most devastating defeat since the party was formed.
30日投開票の衆院選で民主党が大勝し、自民党は結党以来の惨敗を喫した。
This is the first time since the end of World War II that an opposition party has won a single-party majority in the lower house and brought about a change in administration.
野党が衆院選で単独過半数を獲得し、政権交代を果たしたのは戦後初めてのことである。
DPJ President Yukio Hatoyama, who is expected to be named prime minister in the special Diet session to be convened soon, will bear the heavy responsibility of managing the country.
近く召集される予定の特別国会で、首相に指名される民主党の鳩山代表が、国家経営の重責を担うことになる。
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Disappointment and weariness
◆自民党への失望と飽き◆
The largest cause of this sea change in public sentiment lies in the LDP itself.
このような民意の大変動の要因は、自民党にある。
Policies taken by the administration of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, which espoused the importance of market principles, widened disparities in society, devastated the country's medical and nursing care services and impoverished many rural areas.
小泉内閣の市場原理主義的な政策は、「格差社会」を助長し、医療・介護現場の荒廃や地方の疲弊を招いた。
Koizumi's successors--Shinzo Abe and Yasuo Fukuda--abruptly resigned as prime minister.
小泉後継の安倍、福田両首相は相次いで政権を投げ出した。
Prime Minister Taro Aso, who took over from Fukuda, suffered a string of self-imposed setbacks with verbal gaffes and other blunders that raised questions about his ability to serve as prime minister before he could correct the policy line taken by the Koizumi administration.
麻生首相は、小泉路線の修正も中途半端なまま、首相としての資質を問われる言動を続けて、失点を重ねた。
The LDP lost its status as the largest party in the House of Councillors after a thumping defeat in the 2007 election. Subsequently, the LDP's support organizations and industrial groups that traditionally supported the party began to increasingly distance themselves from the LDP.
この間、自民党は、参院選敗北によって参院第1党の座を失い、従来の支持・業界団体も、自民離れを加速させた。
In short, it can be said that the LDP's historic defeat was brought about by the collapse of its structural reforms that went too far, its leaders' failure to live up to their responsibilities and their lack of leadership ability, the alienation of its traditional support base, and weariness and disappointment with the administration that had been in power for a long time.
構造改革路線の行き過ぎ、指導者の責任放棄と力量不足、支持団体の離反、長期政権への失望と飽きが、自民党の歴史的敗北につながったと言えよう。
In addition to criticizing the LDP's failings, the DPJ wooed discontented voters by putting forward policies including support for households, such as a monthly child allowance for families and a gradual phasing out of highway tolls, as well as adopting election campaign tactics that included fielding a diverse range of candidates.
民主党は、こうした自民党の行き詰まりを批判し、子ども手当や高速道路無料化など家計支援策、多様な候補者を立てる選挙戦術で有権者の不満を吸い上げた。
In the previous lower house election, the LDP was blessed with strong and favorable winds whipped up by the postal service privatization debate and the divisions wrought by the party's decision to put "assassin" candidates on the official party ticket to run against those LDP members who opposed the Koizumi-led postal reform drive and were forced off the party ticket.
小泉政権下の前回衆院選では、「郵政民営化」と刺客騒動で、自民党に強い追い風が吹いた。
The winds of change then took a sudden turn, swinging behind the DPJ, which advocates a change in power--and the favorable conditions have remained since the dissolution of the lower house, culminating in heavy damage to the LDP's junior coalition partner, New Komeito, too.
今回、風向きは一転、「政権交代」を唱えた民主党側に変わり、圧勝への勢いを与えた。この結果、自民党だけでなく、連立与党の公明党も大きな打撃を受けた。
This development should be interpreted as meaning that the overwhelming sentiment among voters was to give the DPJ a chance to hold the reins of power, despite anxiety in the electorate about how a DPJ-led administration might fare.
民主党政権に「不安」は感じつつも、一度は政権交代を、との有権者の意識が、それだけ根強かったと見るべきだろう。
Despite the DPJ's landslide victory, however, it does not mean voters have given the party an open-ended mandate.
しかし、300議席を超す勝利は、必ずしも、民主党への白紙委任を意味するものではない。
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