For the other side

I can't give you just one part leadership race when I can give you two. Today's article is nominally about the DPJ leadership race coming up next week, but ends up being the Prime Minister talking about what he has left to do, sort of.

野田首相：民主代表 選へ事実上の出馬表 明－職責担いたいと 会見で

野田首相：民主代表選 へ事実上の出馬表明－ 職責担いたいと会見で

９月７日（ブルームバーグ）：野田佳彦首 相は７日の記者会見で、今後の国政運営につい て「残された課題とこれからも格闘し、克服し ていくという職責を引き続き担いたい」と述 べ、民主党代表選（10日告示、21日投開票）へ の再選出馬を事実上、表明した。

首相は民主党を取り巻く状況について「実に厳 しい声があることは肌身で感じている。今、や るべきことを粛々と一つ一つ実行に移していく ことで国民の信頼を勝ち得ていくしかない」と 語った。

その上で、「経済再生、行政、政治改革と包括 的に進めるべき一体改革はまだまだ未完成、震 災復興と原発事故との戦いも道半ばだ。こうし た国政の重要な諸課題を中途半端な形で放置す ることはできない」と強調した。

衆院解散については「やるべきことをしっかり やり抜いた後にしかるべき時に国民の信を問 う。それ以上、それ以下でもない」と述べるに とどめた。

代表選をめぐっては、一部議員が立候補を要請 をした細野豪志環境相が出馬を見送っている が、原口一博元総務相らが立候補を目指してい ると共同通信は報じている。

http://www.bloomberg.co.jp/news/123-M9Z21M6KLVRA01.html

Prime Minister Noda: Announces candidacy for DPJ leadership post – desire to bear responsibility in interview

Prime Minister Yoshihiro Noda stated in an interview on the 7 th , “I want to continue to bear responsibility for grappling with the remaining issues and bringing them under control,” regarding the administration of the affairs of state going forward, and tacitly announced his candidacy in the DPJ leadership race (begins on 9/10, election date on 9/21).

Regarding the DPJ’s embattled position, he said, “I can feel the severe criticism in my very core. We have no option but to gain the trust of the nation by solemnly implementing the items that must be addressed.” Furthermore, he emphasized that “A comprehensive reform package including economic recovery, administration, and political reform is not yet complete. We are still in the midst of recovery from the earthquake and battling the nuclear accident. I cannot abandon these various issues critical to government half-done.” Regarding Lower House elections, he ended with, “As I’ve promised, only after we properly deal with the items left to be done will we go back to the people, no more, no less.”

In the leadership race, Goushi Hosono, minister of environmental affairs, declined to run despite requests from a number of representatives. However, Kyodo News Service is reporting that former minister of internal affairs Kazuhiro Haraguchi is planning to run.