Nagoya Sparks Japan’s Political Reforms 日本の政治改革に火をつける名古屋

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The Tunisian people’s pro-democracy rallies that eventually lead to political change in Egypt have now spread farther across the Arab nations.

チュニジア国民の民主化を求めるデモはエジプトの政変に発展し、さらにアラブ諸国に広がりました。

Peoples’ common global political frustration is the result of inherent government corruption of congress members and government officials who tightly grip their vested interests.

各国国民に共通する政治への不満は、既得権益を握る議員や役人の構造的政治腐敗によるものです。

Japanese people are also critical about their government employees, whose salaries are more than 1.5 times higher than the average of private company workers’.

日本の国民も民間の労働者の平均より1.5倍以上高い給料をもらう公務員に批判的です。

In Japan, at the general election held two years ago the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) rose to power defeating the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which had been essentially governing since 1955. 

日本では2年前に行われた選挙で、1955年以来実質的に行政を行ってきた自由民主党を破り、民主党が政権につきました。

In the last general election the DPJ promised that Japan’s financial deficit would be curtailed by decreasing the number of congress members and government workers and reviewing how tax payer’s money is spent, while leaving the consumption tax at its present rate.

民主党は前回の選挙で、財政不足は議員や公務員の数を減らし、税金の使われ方を見直すことで抑え、消費税は現在の税率に据え置くと約束しました。

However, they could not follow through, and the DPJ has lost people’s trust along the way while planning to raise the consumption tax.

しかし改革は進まず、消費税を上げる計画をし、国民の信頼を失いました。

In the midst of disappointment the city of Nagoya stands tall in the spotlight. 

そんな失望のさなか、名古屋市が脚光を浴びています。

During the Nagoya city election of April 2009, Mr. Takashi Kawamura advocated a permanent 10% residential tax cut and for assembly members be volunteers, and was successfully elected.                                                         

2009年4月の名古屋市長選挙で河村たかし候補は、10％の市民税恒久減税、議員のボランティア化を掲げて当選しました。

After being elected, Mayor Kawamura immediately cut his annual mayoral salary of 23 million yen down to 8 million yen.    

当選後、河村市長はすぐに2,300万円の市長の年収を800万円に下げました。  

He then pressed the assembly members for many reforms, including an annual salary cut of 50%, from 16 to 8 million yen.

そして、市議会議員の年収を1,600万円から半額の800万円に減らすなどの、さまざまな改革を議員に求めました。

However, confronted by the mayor, the assembly members criticized his tax cuts in lieu of the city’s 1.8 trillion yen debt-load, while also bashing his attack on public workers and themselves as a popularity contest.                                                

しかし、市長と対立する議員は、名古屋市が1.8兆円の負債をかかえている中での減税、また公務員や議員たたきは人気取り政策だと批判しました。

Citizens who supported Mayor Kawamura requested the dissolution of the assembly which was only to be recalled after a February 6th election.

河村市長を支持する市民は議会の解散を要求し、2月6日の選挙でリコールが成立しました。

Kawamura then temporarily resigned as Mayor, once again appealing to the citizens when he said, “Assembly members and officials should fundamentally be volunteers who serve society, but their position has become a vested interest.”

そして一時的に辞職した河村市長は、「議員や役人は、本来、社会に奉仕するボランティアであるべきなのにその職が既得権益になっている」と再び市民に訴えました。

He was overwhelmingly reelected in the mayoral election held on the very same day.

そして、同じ日に行われた市長選挙で圧倒的な票を得て再選しました。

Furthermore, Osaka’s Governor Toru Hashimoto also continues to carry out aggressive reform, reducing their government employees’ salaries by 10%.

また、大阪府の橋下徹知事も公務員の人件費を1割カットし、積極的な改革を進めています。

Yamatsuri Town, Fukushima is highly reputed for its bold reforms, including the drastic reduction of the number of assembly members from 18 to 10, and for replacing their annual salaries with a 30,000 yen payment per assembly meeting attended.

福島県の矢祭町は議員の数を18人から10人へ大幅に削減、年収の代わりに、議会出席一回につき3万円の報酬にするなど、大胆な改革で高く評価されています。

With nationwide local elections scheduled for this April, political reform will soon be starting across Japan.

4月に行われる統一地方選挙と共に、政治改革は日本の各地で始まろうとしています。