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タイ在住11年目、妻はタイ人、娘が2人、養女が2人

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Prompt introduction of Adams’ method crucial for lower house electoral reform
衆院選制度改革　アダムズ方式を先送りするな

The rectification of vote-value disparities between single-seat constituencies must be given priority in carrying out reform of the electoral system for the House of Representatives. Legislative steps must be taken for that purpose during the current Diet session after quickly consolidating the opinions of political parties.
　衆院の選挙制度改革では、小選挙区の「１票の格差」の是正を優先すべきだ。各党の意見集約を急ぎ、今国会で立法措置を講じねばならない。

The ruling and opposition parties have presented their views on electoral system reforms to lower house Speaker Tadamori Oshima.
　与野党が、選挙制度改革に関する見解を大島衆院議長にそれぞれ表明した。

The Democratic Party of Japan, Komeito and the Japan Innovation Party have basically accepted the reform proposals recommended by an expert research panel. The Liberal Democratic Party, on the other hand, has agreed to cuts in the number of total seats but wants to postpone the reallocation of seats to prefectures.
　民主、公明、維新の各党などは有識者調査会の答申を基本的に受け入れた。自民党は、定数削減には応じるが、都道府県定数の再配分は先送りする考えを示した。

The LDP’s reform plan calls for reducing the number of seats in single-seat constituencies by six and reviewing the demarcation of these constituencies, both based on a simplified census conducted in 2015, to reduce vote-value disparities to less than 2 to 1. The number of seats in proportional representation blocs would be cut by four. The party has compiled these proposals by revising the party’s draft plan at the instruction of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has called for seat cuts to be carried out more rapidly.
　自民党案は、１票の格差を２倍未満に抑えるため、２０１５年の簡易国勢調査に基づき、小選挙区定数を６減らし、区割りを見直す。比例選は４削減する。安倍首相の指示で、原案を修正し、定数削減を前倒ししたものだ。

The LDP is studying a plan to cut one seat each in six prefectures, including Kagoshima and Iwate, without increasing seats in other prefectures. The plan also calls for a reallocation of seats to prefectures based on the census to be taken in 2020, leaving the impression that this is a stopgap measure.
　鹿児島、岩手など６県で各１減らす「０増６減」を検討している。都道府県ごとの定数再配分は２０年の国勢調査後に行うとしており、弥縫びほう策との印象は否めない。

The panel called for reallocating lower house seats based on the Adams’ method, under which seven seats would be added and 13 eliminated. This will reduce the maximum vote-value gap between prefectures to 1.621 to 1 and likely hold the disparities between constituencies to less than 2 to 1.
　調査会は、「アダムズ方式」による「７増１３減」の再配分を求めていた。都道府県間格差は最大１・６２１倍となる。選挙区間格差も２倍未満に収まる見通しだ。

LDP’s concession vital

The LDP has put off the plan on the reallocation of seats to prefectures because of strong internal opposition to and cautious views against the panel’s reform proposals, which would affect incumbent lawmakers of the prefectures subject to the 13 cuts.
　自民党が再配分を先送りしたのは、「１３減」の対象県の現職議員を中心に反対・慎重論が根強いという党内事情によるものだ。

The LDP must not make light of the fact that the ruling and opposition parties promised to respect the panel’s recommendations after entrusting it to study the situation following their failure to reach an agreement on reform plans. The LDP will have no alternative but to reconsider the reform plans, as the Adams’ method has been approved by other major parties.
　だが、与野党が改革案で合意できず、有識者に検討を委ね、答申を尊重すると約束した経緯を軽視すべきではあるまい。他の主要政党がアダムズ方式への賛成で足並みをそろえる中、自民党は再考せざるを得ないのではないか。

It is desirable to revise the electoral system, the foundation of democracy, with the approval of as many parties as possible. Abe has suggested he will aim to pass related bills through the current Diet session. As an overwhelmingly dominant force in the Diet, the LDP has the responsibility to lead consensus-building efforts on the reform.
　民主主義の基盤である選挙制度は、より多くの党の賛同で見直すことが望ましい。安倍首相は今国会で関連法案を成立させる考えを示した。「１強」の自民党には合意形成を主導する責任がある。

It is disappointing, however, that major parties still hold on to the idea of cutting the total seat number.
　残念なのは、主要政党が定数削減になお固執していることだ。

The panel proposed cutting 10 seats only in consideration of parties’ pledges to the people that the number of seats would be cut, as it said that “it is difficult to find appropriate reasons or logical basis” for cutting the total seat number.
　調査会が「１０減」を提案したのは、各党の「国民との約束」に配慮しただけで、定数削減に「積極的な理由や理論的根拠は見いだし難い」と指摘している。

If the seat number is reduced, diverse public opinions may not be reflected in elections. The legislature’s monitoring of the administrative branch through deliberations on government-proposed bills could be weakened. The number of Japanese lawmakers in relation to the national population is no greater than in some European countries and elsewhere.
　定数を減らせば、選挙で多様な民意を反映しにくくなる。法案審議などを通じた立法府の行政監視機能も低下しかねない。日本の国会議員は人口比でみれば、欧州諸国などより多くない。

It must be taken into consideration that if the number of total seats is reduced, it will become more difficult and troublesome to correct vote disparities.
　定数が少ないほど、格差是正が難しくなり、その手間が増えることも考慮すべきだろう。

When lawmakers are asked to accept reforms that are painful to themselves, they should do it by agreeing to cuts in subsidies to political parties rather than by decreasing seat numbers.
　議員が「身を切る」姿勢を示す必要があるなら、定数を減らすのでなく、政党交付金の削減などで対応するのが筋である。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 23, 2016)