Chân dung người đánh bại Nicolas Sarkozy

7/5/2012

Từng học tại Viện Nghiên cứu Chính trị Paris danh giá, Francois Hollande tiến dần trong sự nghiệp chính trị và leo tới đỉnh vinh quang sau khi giành thắng lợi trong cuộc bầu cử tổng thống Pháp hôm qua.
> Francois Hollande đắc cử tổng thống Pháp

Ông Francois Hollande là tổng thống đầu tiên của phe tả tại Pháp từ năm 1995. Ảnh:pouvoirpolitique.com.

Ứng viên tổng thống Pháp tranh cãi nảy lửa

3/5/2012

Đương kim Tổng thống Pháp Sarkozy và ứng cử viên đảng Xã hội Hollande hôm qua có buổi tranh luận 3 giờ trên truyền hình, được đánh giá là gay cấn nhất trong hơn 20 năm qua.
> Francois Hollande dẫn đầu bầu cử tổng thống Pháp

Hai ứng cử viên tổng thống Pháp có cuộc tranh luận gay cấn trên truyền hình. Ảnh: BBC

Ông Sarkozy có những phát biểu tấn công mạnh mẽ vào đối thủ, tuy nhiên không hạ gục được người đang dẫn trước ông trong bầu cử tổng thống vòng 1. Các chuyên gia nhận định rằng nhiều khả năng ông Sarkozy sẽ trở thành tổng thống đầu tiên của Pháp không tái cử nhiệm kỳ hai trong suốt 30 năm qua.

独大統領にガウク氏選出…旧東独の反体制活動家

【ベルリン＝三好範英】ドイツ大統領を選出する連邦集会が１８日、ベルリンで開かれ、キリスト教民主・社会同盟（ＣＤＵ・ＣＳＵ）、自由民主党（ＦＤＰ）、社会民主党（ＳＰＤ）、緑の党が推す旧東独反体制活動家ヨアヒム・ガウク氏（７２）が有効投票数１２２８票のうち９９１票を獲得し、新大統領に選出された。

今回の大統領選挙は２月１７日、前任のクリスティアン・ウルフ氏が地元経済界との癒着疑惑の責任を取って辞任したことを受けたもの。

Video Putin khóc trong chiến thắng

05/03/2012

(Dân trí) - Xúc động trước chiến thắng trong cuộc bầu cử tổng thống Nga ngày 4/3, ông Putin đã không kìm được nước mắt lăn trên má. Ông gọi chiến thắng của mình là bước ngoặt, đã ngăn chặn được nước Nga rơi vào tay của kẻ thù.
 >> Vladimir Putin - Con người của hành động
 >> Bầu cử Tổng thống Nga - yếu tố không phải là kết quả
 >> Putin - Nhà lãnh đạo biết giới hạn cho phép

“Tôi đã hứa với các bạn rằng chúng ta sẽ chiến thăng. Chúng ta đã chiến thắng. Nước Nga vinh quang”, ông Putin nói với người ủng hộ khi sát cánh bên ông là Tổng thống sắp mãn nhiệm Dmitry Medvedev. Hàng chục ngàn người đã vẫy cờ ủng hộ ông Putin trong cuộc tuần hành vào cuối ngày chủ nhật bên dưới những bức tường đỏ của điện Kremlin.

20/12 Young Russian protesters want change but lack a leader

View Photo Gallery —  Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of cities across Russia to demand an end to Vladimir Putin’s rule and complain about alleged election fraud.

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By Michael Birnbaum, Tuesday, December 20, 2:03 AM

MOSCOW – The youthful, Internet-savvy Russians who have turned out in the streets in historic numbers in recent weeks want to end Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s untrammeled rule over their country, but whether they can translate their frustration to the political arena – or even whether they will remain fired up – remains an open question.

03/07 Cử tri Thái Lan đi bỏ phiếu

Chủ nhật, 3/7/2011, 10:45 

Khoảng 90.860 điểm bỏ phiếu trên khắp Thái Lan mở cửa đón khoảng 47 triệu cử tri tới bỏ phiếu, trong cuộc bầu cử hạ viện có ý nghĩa quan trọng với tương lai của quốc gia này.

Các địa điểm bỏ phiếu mở cửa lúc 8 giờ sáng theo giờ địa phương, và sẽ đóng lại vào khoảng 15 giờ chiều nay. Đây là cuộc bầu cử lớn đầu tiên kể từ sau các vụ biểu tình khiến 90 người thiệt mạng tại Bangkok hồi năm ngoái.

AFP cho hay hơn 170.000 cảnh sát được điều động để bảo vệ các địa điểm bỏ phiếu, trong bối cảnh cuộc bầu cử diễn ra trong căng thẳng và những chia rẽ ở Thái Lan vẫn còn được thể hiện rõ nét.

Bà Yingluck Shinawatra thực hiện nghĩa vụ công dân tại một địa điểm bỏ phiếu ở thủ đô Bangkok sáng nay. Ảnh: AFP

Các đài truyền hình liên tục phát đi hình ảnh các cử tri xếp thành hàng dài khắp các địa điểm bỏ phiếu trên toàn quốc, để tham gia vào việc chọn lựa 3.382 ứng cử viên của 42 đảng vào 500 ghế tại hạ viện trong nhiệm kỳ 4 năm tới, CTV đưa tin.

Các cử tri Thái Lan có quyền đi bỏ phiếu phải đáp ứng yêu cầu là công dân nước này trên 18 tuổi hoặc là người gốc nước ngoài nhưng đã nhập quốc tịch Thái trong vòng 5 năm gần nhất. Tên của cử tri cũng phải được lưu tại danh sách đăng ký theo hộ gia đình mà họ cư trú trong ít nhất 90 ngày.

Các cử tri Thái Lan sẽ có quyền chọn lựa người mà họ mong muốn góp mặt trong hạ viện tới trước 15h chiều nay. Sau đó, các địa điểm bỏ phiếu sẽ đóng cửa. Kết quả không chính thức của cuộc bầu cử được cho là sẽ được công bố vào khoảng 22h, thông qua việc đánh giá trong các cuộc tiếp xúc với cử tri sau khi họ tham gia bỏ phiếu. Bầu cử tại Thái Lan là bắt buộc, theo điều 4 Hiến pháp năm 2007,Xinhua cho hay.

Theo luật hiện hành, Ủy ban bầu cử sẽ chính thức xác nhận kết quả bỏ phiếu trong vòng 7 ngày tiếp theo, nếu không có cáo buộc nào về việc gian lận bầu cử được đưa ra. Tuy nhiên, một đảng phái nhất định vẫn có quyền phàn nàn về việc bầu cử không công bằng trong vòng 30 ngày, tính từ ngày các cử tri đi bỏ phiếu.

Những cuộc điều tra trước ngày bầu cử cho thấy đảng Pheu Thai của bà Yingluck Shinawatra đang có lợi thế trong cuộc chạy đua với đảng Dân chủ cầm quyền của Thủ tướng Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Phan Lê

Theo dòng sự kiện: Bầu cử Thái Lan 2011 (01/07) Thái Lan kể từ sau khi Thaksin bị lật đổ (01/07) Thaksin 'đốt nóng' bầu cử Thái từ xa (01/07) Mỹ hồi hộp trước bầu cử Thái (30/06) Ứng viên thủ tướng Thái chạy đua trong nước lụt (29/06) Em gái Thaksin quyến rũ cử tri Thái (27/06)

23/05 Chính trường Thổ Nhĩ Kỳ rúng động vì bê bối băng sex

(Dân trí) - 6 chính trị gia cấp cao thuộc một đảng đối lập của Thổ Nhĩ Kỳ đã từ chức do dính đáng tới một vụ bê bối băng sex. Xì-căng-đan này có thể ảnh hưởng tới kết quả cuộc tổng tuyển cử vào tháng tới.

Thổ Nhĩ Kỳ sẽ tiến hành tổng tuyển cử vào ngày 12/6.

Báo chí Thổ Nhĩ Kỳ đưa tin, các nghị sĩ đảng Hành động Quốc gia (NAP) đã xuất hiện trong các clip sex được tải lên mạng Internet.

Trước đó, 4 thành viên cấp cao của NAP cũng đã từ chức hồi đầu tháng này vì các video tương tự, một số quay cảnh họ đang “mây mưa” tại một ngôi nhà mà các thành viên của đảng sử dụng.

“Tôi từ chức để tránh cho đảng tổn thất mà những cáo buộc có thể gây ra”, nghị sĩ Deniz Bolukbasi, một trong 6 thành viên từ chức, nói.

Ông Bolukbasi khẳng định ông là nạn nhân của một âm mưu mang động cơ chính trị.

Các băng sex được tiết lộ ngay trước cuộc tổng tuyển cử vào ngày 12/6 tới. Một nhóm nặc danh đã tải các video lên mạng, gây ra các cáo buộc từ NAP rằng những người ủng hộ Thủ tướng Recep Tayyip Erdogan đang cố gắng làm huỷ hoại danh tiếng của NAP trước cuộc tổng tuyển cử sắp tới. Đảng của ông Erdogan bác bỏ mọi sự liên quan.

Giới chức Thổ Nhĩ Kỳ đã chặn việc truy cập vào các video.

Năm ngoái, Deniz Baykal, một lãnh đạo lâu năm của đảng Nhân dân Cộng hòa (CHP), cũng phải từ chức chủ tịch đảng sau khi một video quay cảnh thân mật của ông với một nữ chính trị gia bị tung lên mạng.

An Bình
Theo AP

26/04 Moves escalate to topple Kan after poor election results

Prime Minister Naoto Kan at an Upper House committee meeting on Monday (Satoru Iizuka)

Disappointing local election results have increased political activity to topple Prime Minister Naoto Kan as he tries to compile a plan to pull Japan out of the mess from the March 11 disaster.

Although a large majority of candidates in the municipal assembly elections held around Japan on April 24 ran as independents, candidates backed by the ruling Democratic Party of Japan were less successful than those backed by the opposition Liberal Democratic Party.

"It is an expression of the doubts held by many voters over whether the prime minister can truly implement measures to deal with the natural disasters," LDP chief Sadakazu Tanigaki told reporters after the election results became known.

At an April 25 session of the Upper House Audit and Oversight of Administration Committee, Kan admitted to the poor showing by DPJ candidates in the local elections.

"We have to seriously accept the fact that many candidates ended up with severe results," Kan said.

Hajime Ishii, the chairman of the DPJ Election Campaign Committee, tried to deflect suggestions that Kan should take responsibility for the local election results.

"Now is the time to bear down and unify the party as one," Ishii said.

But before the elections--and even preceding the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami-- discontent with Kan was already rife within the DPJ.

Anger toward Kan was already brewing after the DPJ fared poorly in prefectural gubernatorial and assembly elections held on April 10.

In the April 24 by-election in the No. 6 district of Aichi Prefecture--the only election with national ramifications--the LDP candidate, Hideki Niwa, won over four other candidates, including one pushed by a party set up by Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura.

The DPJ could not even find a candidate to field in the by-election.

The LDP and New Komeito have indicated their willingness to approve the government's first supplementary budget, which is centered on immediate measures to deal with the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami. It will likely be submitted to the Diet this week and passed as early as May 2.

LDP officials are considering submitting a no-confidence motion to the Lower House against the Kan Cabinet soon after the supplementary budget is passed, despite the insistence of some opposition members that the focus should remain on rebuilding the Tohoku region.

Kan met with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano and DPJ Secretary-General Katsuya Okada on the evening of April 24 to exchange views on how to promote discussions between ruling and opposition parties on a proposed basic law for rebuilding after the disaster.

However, Kan may also have his hands full trying to keep his party together.

A number of heads of DPJ prefectural chapters have indicated their intention to resign, including Osaka's Shinji Tarutoko, a former DPJ Diet Affairs Committee chairman, Yorihisa Matsuno of Kumamoto, Tenzo Okumura of Shiga and Hirofumi Ryu of Kanagawa.

Although those officials said they were stepping down to take responsibility for the local election results in their respective prefectures, the mass resignations will also build up pressure on DPJ executives at the national level.

Younger DPJ lawmakers are also becoming increasingly fed up with Kan's handling of government affairs.

On April 19, about 50 first-term Lower House members, including those belonging to DPJ groups headed by political heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa, Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda and former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, set up a study group on how the nation can overcome this major tragedy.

At an April 21 meeting of his group, Maehara told Shuji Inatomi, one of the study group's leaders, to freely do whatever he wanted.

The question among opposition party officials will be if they can accumulate enough anti-Kan votes within the DPJ for the no-confidence motion against the Kan Cabinet.

Ozawa and some of his DPJ allies have been meeting with a number of veteran LDP lawmakers.

For a no-confidence motion to pass the Lower House, about 80 members of the ruling parties will have to vote in favor.

LDP officials do not expect Kan to dissolve the Lower House when the government is still trying to push through legislation for the rebuilding process. So they are trying to push a no-confidence motion that forces Kan and his Cabinet to resign en masse.

They will likely time the submission of the no-confidence motion between the end of the series of national holidays in early May and June 22, the scheduled end of the current Diet session.

However, some LDP members are wary of engaging in a political struggle when no clear direction has been established for rebuilding after the disasters or for settling the crisis at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

Such a struggle could turn public opinion against the opposition parties.

"The situation is not one in which a no-confidence motion or a censure motion against the prime minister can be submitted in the Upper House," said an executive of the LDP Upper House caucus who has been vehemently critical of Kan.

New Komeito officials also say the immediate attention should focus on the rebuilding process rather than on toppling the Cabinet.

"We will not let the LDP submit a no-confidence or censure motion anytime soon," a New Komeito executive said.

11/04 枝野官房長官の会見全文〈１１日午前１１時〉

2011年4月11日14時25分

　枝野幸男官房長官の１１日午前の記者会見は次の通り。

　【冒頭】

　「東日本大震災から今日で１カ月になる。改めて、この震災で亡くなられたみなさんのご冥福をお祈り申し上げるとともに、震災から１カ月になるが、今なお避難所生活をはじめとして、大変ご不便な生活でご苦労をおかけしているみなさんに、さらなる十分なご支援を進めていく決意を申し上げるとともに、ご不便をおかけしているみなさんにおわびを申し上げる次第だ。政府としてできるだけ早く、復旧そして復興へとつなげていけるよう、また原子力発電所の状況を収束させられるよう改めて決意を申し上げたいと思う」

　【避難地域】

　――避難地域の設定について。最終調整しているというが、今発表できるものはあるか。

　「いろいろと新聞を読むと報道されているようだが、最終的に決定を何かしているわけではない。ただ若干、関係者のみなさんでご心配されている方が多いかと思う。一つは、これ何度か会見でも申し上げているが、今避難をお願いをしないとならないことは二つの意味がある。一つは、原子力発電所において事態が悪化して、大量の放射性物質が新たに出るという可能性は相当低くなっているが、当然のことながら今、普通に運転している原発の状況とは全く異なっている。これに対する備えとして、そうした事象、事故が起こった場合に、悪化をした場合に備えて原発に近い地域のみなさんには避難をしてもらわないとならない。これについては、震災発生当初の最初の１週間、２週間と比べて、相当程度そのリスクは小さくなっていると認識している。また、万が一悪化した場合でも、悪化をする前兆などをとらえながら、あるいは今避難をしていただいている状況を前提にしながら考えれば、これは２０キロ圏内からの避難で十分対応できると判断をしている。従って、今２０～３０キロの地域については、こうしたリスクは全くゼロではないが、そうしたことを踏まえたうえで、どういった対応をして頂くのが原発の状況を前提にした時に、安全という観点から必要なものであるのかという方向で、最終的な詰めをしているところだ。正確にいうと、２０キロ以内から出て頂いていて何か新たに悪化して放射性物質が出るという状況の場合には、それを踏まえて２０キロから外のみなさんにはその時点で対応して頂ければ十分だということだ」

　「もう一つは、これはすでに放出されている放射性物質による影響、特に新たな放出がなかったとしても土壌などに降っている放射性物質から放射線がでるので、これが当該地域に長時間、長い期間いるとそれが累積をされて健康に影響を及ぼす可能性が生じてくる。従って、この累積された放射線量という観点から別の次元で安全確保のための措置が必要であろうということ。こちらについては、この間の放射線量のモニタリングの結果やあるいはこの期間の特に大量に放射性物質が出たと思われる時期の気候天候等を踏まえて、対応の最終的な詰めをしている。これについては、ご承知の通り、いわゆる同心円的な対応ではない。従って、モニタリングの結果に基づいて、今、精緻（せいち）な分析を進めて頂いたうえで、それぞれの地域の地形その他等によってどう対応をとるべきかについて詰めの作業をしているところだ。こちらについては、今言った通り長い期間そこにおられるということによる影響なので、むしろ地元の状況、事情等あるいはより詳細なモニタリングの数値を踏まえれば踏まえるほどより分析的に対応ができることになる。今そうした精査というか、より丁寧な対応を詰めている状況だ」

　【警戒区域】

　――「２０キロからの避難で十分な対応」とは、現在検討している警戒区域は、２０～３０キロのところは対象になることはないということか。

　「少なくとも今言った前者、つまり原発が急激に今後悪化をして大量の放射性物質が新たに放出されるということについて、あらかじめ離れていて下さいということは２０キロまでの圏であるということは、専門家のみなさんの分析を踏まえてこの方向ははっきりしている。２０～３０キロについても、常時屋内退避の必要はないと思われるが、しかしここについては、もし大量の放射性物質が出るという悪化した場合に備えてどういう対応をとって頂くのが一番合理的か、ということの詰めをしている」

　――同心円ではない、モニタリングの数値で精緻な対応をというが、基準となるモニタリングの数値は現時点で決まっているのか。２０ミリシーベルトという報道もあるが。

　「専門家のみなさんのご意見を踏まえながら、最終的な判断をしているところだ」

　――２０キロ圏外の自治体に対して、政府から「計画避難区域になる」と説明があり、これを受けて飯舘村ではすでに午前中から避難が始まっているとの情報がある。そもそも「計画避難区域」とはどういう法律に基づくのか。

　「今言った通り、ここまでのモニタリングの結果を踏まえて関係する地域のみなさんとは、今お話を始めている。今言った通り、これ地形、風向きと地形等によって影響される。そうした状況等も地元のみなさんとしっかり相談をして進めているものだ。現地の状況について、もしそうした結果として、累積による放射線の影響について何らかの対応が必要だということでお願いする場合も、まさに半年・１年ということを当該地域にいた場合ということの影響を考慮しての対応をお願いするということで相談をしているので、ぜひ当該地域に関係すると思われるみなさんも、国や自治体から具体的な指示がもし必要なら必ずあるので、それを踏まえて対応して頂ければと思う」

　――最終調整ということだが、そういう住民の動きもあるなかで今日中に何らかの指示が出せる状況にあるのか。

　「今言った通り、半年とか１年とかいうことでの蓄積を見通しての対応なので、そういう意味ではしっかりとした準備とかをしたうえで、ということが一方では望ましいが、しかし当事者のみなさんにとっては一刻も早く情報、判断を知りたいということもあろうかと思う。その両面のバランスというか兼ね合いを今調整しているところだ」

――２０キロ圏内は警戒区域の指定でいいか。

　「最終決定はしていない。実際に指定をする以上は、指定をしたら実際にそれが担保できるような準備も必要だ。現実には、いまほとんどの皆さんは指示に従って退避していて、残っている皆さんも機動隊や自衛隊が安全対策をとった上で中に入って、説得などもして頂いた上で、残念ながらご理解頂けていないので、いまここにそういう指定する場合は、新たに入ることがないようになどの、しっかりした実効性あらしめる措置がある程度、準備がされないとあまり意味がない。その点についての調整をしている」

　【原子力損害賠償紛争審査会】

　――明日の閣議で原子力損害賠償紛争審査会を設置されるそうだが、役割は。

　「この審査会は法律に基づき、文科大臣の下に原子力災害による補償についての考え方の基準を第三者的に決めて頂くという組織です。残念ながらこうした事故になっているので、法律に基づいて設置をするべくいま準備を進めている。できるだけ早いほうがいいだろうと思っているので、遅くとも明日の閣議には決めたいと最終準備をしている」

　【緊急災害対策本部会議】

　――緊急災害対策本部会議と原子力災害対策本部会議が開かれるが、議題は。

　「昨日、全閣僚に加え、党幹部、国民新党も加えて長時間の議論をした。今日、１カ月のけじめ、節目なので、昨日は政務だけだったので対策本部は事実上、関係省庁も参加しているので、改めてここまでの様々な対応についての整理、当面の施策についての共有を目的としている」

　【避難区域】

　――避難区域について２種類の考え方があると言っているが、１年間の累積を見た対応と強調しているが、従来の避難指示の基準となっている２０キロの避難も５０ミリシーベルト以上、これも累積となっている。どちらも累積の観点だが。

　「まさに原子力安全委員会や原子力安全・保安院とのディスカッションの結果、あるいは関係する専門家とのディスカッションの結果、いま日本で５０ミリシーベルトの被曝（ひばく）を受ける可能性がある場合は避難して頂くことは、何度も言っている通り、原子力発電所の事故で短時間で大量の放射性物質が放出されて、大量の放射線を短い時間、１日、２日とかの単位で受ける場合の事故を想定して、この基準が作られていることだ。長期間にわたっての累積された被曝を想定して作ったものではないということだったので、安全委員会をはじめとして関係する専門家の皆さんに、その場合にはどういう基準で、避難などを指示する必要があるのか、安全性優先の観点から、しっかりと再検討して頂きたいと。なおかつ同時に、累積についての周辺地域のデータの整理というか、推測の部分すべてを、１１日から放射線量を測っているわけじゃないのでどういう考え方に基づいて、ここまでの累積を見たらいいのか。ここから先の受ける可能性について見たらいいのかを、この間、専門機関、文科省などのモニタリングの結果を踏まえて分析している」

　――そこで言っている長期的とは、避難生活が長期に及ぶという意味で言っているものではないのか。

　「そこの意味の違いではなく、どういう放射線の受け方をする場合にどういう基準が望ましいのか、適切なのかについては、短時間、事故による短時間の放射線の場合と長期間にわたって蓄積していく場合とで、異なった考え方をする必要があるのかないのかというところから、専門家に検討してもらい、意見を頂いている。基本的には必ずしも同じ基準であることは必然ではないという中で、いま最終的な詰めをしてもらっている」

　【１カ月の改善点】

　――会議体が多いのではないか。この１カ月、政府の情報発信に問題なかったか。改善点はないか。

　「この１カ月、多くの国民が不便な避難生活をしている。様々な批判は真摯（しんし）に受け止めないといけない。ただ、会議体が多いという批判については、それぞれしっかりとした事務局体制をつくらないといけない。省庁横断的に生活支援者などで、生活支援の下にいくつかのチームをつくっているが、それぞれのテーマが一つの省庁では完結しない。複数の省庁から優秀な事務局のメンバーを出してもらい、一定の事務局チームを作らないと、そういったことを考えて、そういった事務局の体制をしっかりと作り上げて、それをしっかりと回していくためには、一定の本部なりをつくってそのもとの事務局として、各省からそれに適した人材を出してもらい、省庁横断的なチームを作ることが必要なので、そういったチームを次々と作っていった。実際、多くの場合はそうしたチームを作ることによって省庁間の連携がそれなりに機能するようになった。情報の提供については、とにかくある情報はしっかり国民に開示するという基本姿勢はこれからもしっかりと貫いていかないといけない。初期の段階、特に原発については、状況の変化が早い中での対応で、まずはそのスピードの変化に合わせて、できるだけ早い段階で情報提供するという要請があったので、政府と東京電力と保安院等で情報の出し方について、もうちょっと工夫をしなければならなかったという指摘は、ある意味当然だ。それは早い段階は状況の変化が早い中で、それぞれ一番早い段階で開示していくという必要性の中から、一定の落ち着きが出ているので、出来るだけしっかりそれぞれ関係する機関が情報発信を混乱しないようにさらに努めていく」

　【復興構想会議】

　――復興構想会議の位置づけは。

　「構想会議はまさに復興についての考え方をある意味で英知を結集してもらい、それに向けた考え方を打ち出して頂いて、それを踏まえて政府として具体的に進めていく。それと各党間の政治的な相談、興味はまったく別次元の話だ。今存在する生活支援、救難救援、復旧というステージの問題だ。これから復興という段階に進んでいかないといけない。そこについての考え方を検討する会議体だ」

　【年齢などによる区分】

　――累積の放射線量を考えた場合の避難指示の考え方について、年齢や妊娠なども考慮した細かい区分は検討しているのか。

　「そういったことをまず科学的にどこまで考慮する必要があるのか。それから、もう一つ、社会的にどこまで考慮することが望ましいのか、ということの両面がある。内部被曝でなければ、一般的には年齢等に必ずしも左右される必要はないのではないか、と大方の皆さんから意見もいただいているが、ただ、それだけはなくて、社会的ニーズも考慮しなければならない。そうしたことを地域の事情を踏まえながら最終的な詰めをしている」

　――土壌汚染というと内部被曝を考えるという発想もあるが、可能性はあるということか。

　「土壌汚染の場合の内部被曝は、それが口に入ったりすれば内部被曝になるので、例えば、ほこりが舞って地面に落ちているものが舞い上がって、それが呼吸で入るという可能性をどのくらい見るかということ。そうすると、少なくともほこりが舞い上がっている時は外部被曝の線量も上がるということになるので、そこについては、例えば食べ物とか飲み物とはちょっと性格が違うと説明を受けている。私もそう思う」

　【統一地方選】

　――統一地方選で、民主党が敗北した。

　「本来の平常時であれば、官房長官という立場は党で行う選挙等の党の活動についても政府の側の窓口として、一定の考慮とか配慮とかをしなければいけない立場なのかもしれない。しかしながら、率直に申し上げて、この１か月、政府の立場としては震災対応に全力を投入することが求められている状況だったし、私自身もそうで、その間、幹事長はじめ党の役員の幹部の皆さんに信頼してお任せをしてきているので、私から結果についてだけコメントするのは適切ではない」

　――菅総理の責任論、政権への影響は。

　「国民の皆さんから震災前から様々な意見があることは十分に認識をしている。そうした声には真摯に耳を傾け、謙虚に受け止めながら、与えられている、特に今、震災対応についてしっかりと全力を挙げて進んでいくという責任を果たしてまいらなければいけない」

　――あまり信認を受けていない政権が今後の復興に携わる弊害は感じないか。

　「しっかりとして、特に復興について、国民の皆さん、特に被災地の皆さんが求められる、期待される復興対策をしっかりと打ち出していくことが重要だ」

　――野党側からは菅首相には復興は任せられないとの声も出ている。

　「それぞれ国民、各界各層にはいろんな意見があるのは当然だ。そうした意見も真摯に受け止めながら、しっかりと責任を果たしていくことが重要だし、野党の皆さんもだれがではなくて、何をどうやるのかということで判断をしていただけると思うので、しっかりとご理解をいただけるような復興に向けた政策作りを進めてまいりたい」

　――統一選の結果は政府の震災への対応、原発への対応は影響したと考えるか。

　「選挙について私自身、この間の報道とか状況も含めて一切関知することができない状況のなかでやってきたので、結論についてだけコメントするのは適切ではないので、党の関係者におたずねいただければと思う」

　――だれがではなくて、何をやるのかということなら、菅総理でなくても震災対応は乗り切れるのでは。

　「ただ、いま、この国の民主主義のルールに基づいて菅総理が総理という大変厳しいなかでの総理をいま、現にその職責を与えられているわけだから、菅内閣としては、その職責をしっかり果たしていくことに全力を挙げるのがまさに筋だと思っているし、責任だと思っている」

　――選挙の結果が、今後の与野党協議に影響を与えると思うか。

　「私はこの震災に対しては、まさに党派にかかわりなく、国をあげてやっていくのだということは各党の皆さん、すべてこの間おっしゃってきておられる。大変ありがたいことだと思っている。従って、しっかりとした震災対策の中身になるよう様々なご意見をしっかりと我々が踏まえていくことが重要だと思っている」

　【政府の初動】

　――政府の初動の遅れによって被災者支援が遅れた、原発被害が拡大したとの声も。

　「実際に多くの皆さんが今なお避難所で大変厳しい生活を送られている。原発については様々な避難されている方にとどまらず、影響を受けておられる。そうしたなかだから、様々な意見、特に批判については真摯に受け止めなければいけないと思っている。ただ、震災の被災者に対する支援についても、原発の対応についても、現状のシステムのなかで可能な最大限のことを我々としてはやってきたつもりであると思っている。ただ、実際に今も大変厳しいなかにおられる方がたくさんいらっしゃるから、そうした皆さんの思いをしっかりと受け止めていくことは重要だと思っている」

　――インターネット上で、枝野長官が原発発生後に家族を海外にかくまったとの話も出ているが、事実関係は。

　「たぶん、記者の皆さんのなかでも議員会館等で見かけた人もいらっしゃるのではないかと思うが、震災発生以来ずっと東京の議員宿舎と、私が戻れない分、時々大宮の地方選の対応に動いているが、それ以外まったく動いていないし、私自身、国民の皆さんに、東京の皆さんに何か心配があるということを申し上げてきていない。家族に対しても同じことを申し上げているので、今日も幼稚園からは水筒に水をもってこいという指示があったらしいが、そんなもの必要ない、水道の水を入れていけば大丈夫だ、と言って出かけさせている」

　【統一地方選】

　――統一地方選で、枝野さんの選挙区の埼玉の県議選で民主党が敗北した。

　「私の地元について言えば、４人の有為な候補者、仲間を当選させることができなかったが、改選前、地方議員５人だったところが７人に増えている」

./.

08/04 Guatemala president Alvaro Colom granted divorce

8 April 2011 Last updated at 23:31 GMT

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Sandra Torres said she would divorce her husband for the love of her country

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• Guatemala leader's divorce halted
• First Lady divorces to seek power
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A family court in Guatemala has approved the divorce of President Alvaro Colom and his wife Sandra Torres.

The decision clears the way for her to stand for election to be his successor.

The couple filed for divorce last month to overcome a constitutional ban on close relatives of the president running for the top office.

The court rejected numerous legal challenges to the divorce, which has provoked great controversy.

The opposition has accused the president and now ex-first lady of fraud.

The main opposition candidate for September's presidential election, former General Otto Perez Molina, told the BBC he believed Ms Torres' candidacy would still violate the constitution.

But a spokesman for Sandra Torres' party told the BBC that they consider the procedure to be fully legal.

'Great love'

Sandra Torres confirmed her intention to separate from her husband of eight years last month in a tearful address to the nation.

She said she and Mr Colom were putting their love for Guatemala ahead of their "great and solid" love for each other.

The decision means the couple will have to live apart.

Sandra Torres is Mr Colom's third wife and is already a divorcee.

She has played a prominent role in Alvaro Colom's presidency, supervising the government's poverty relief programmes.

If elected, she will be Guatemala's first female president.

But she is facing a tough challenge from Otto Perez Molina, whose promise of a tough line against rising crime has given him a comfortable lead in the polls.

More on This Story

Related Stories

• Guatemala leader's divorce halted 02 APRIL 2011, LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
• First Lady divorces to seek power 25 MARCH 2011, LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
• Guatemala first lady seeks power 08 MARCH 2011, LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN

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• Guatemala presidency (in Spanish)

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02/04 「試練に立ち向かう日本から学ぶものある」来日の独外相

2011年4月2日21時30分

　松本剛明外相は２日、来日したドイツのベスターベレ外相と外務省で会談した。冒頭、ベスターベレ氏は「困難な試練に立ち向かう日本国民の姿勢から学ぶべきものがある」と見舞い、松本氏は「援助に感謝している」と応じた。

　ベスターベレ氏は東日本大震災を受けて日本への支援と連帯を表明するため訪日したいと日本側に伝え、実現した。外務省によると、訪問先の中国から２日に羽田空港に到着し、同日中に帰国の途につくという。

　３月末、菅直人首相と電話会談したメルケル・ドイツ首相は「放射線汚染地域で活動できるロボットを提供する用意がある」と表明。会談ではこうした提案を受けて、福島第一原発の事故対応についても意見交換したとみられる。

　ドイツでは、３月２７日のバーデン・ビュルテンベルク州議会選挙で連立与党が敗北し、環境政党・緑の党が躍進。メルケル首相は「福島原発の大事故を巡る議論が敗因となったのは明らかだ」と述べている。

28/03 ドイツ首相「敗因は福島原発」 州議会選で連立与党敗北

2011年3月28日23時54分

　【ベルリン＝松井健】ドイツ南西部バーデン・ビュルテンベルク州で２７日にあった州議会選挙で、連立与党が敗北し、環境政党・緑の党が躍進したことについてメルケル首相は２８日、「福島原発の大事故を巡る議論が敗因となったのは明らかだ」と述べた。

　さらに「原発政策を徹底的に議論し、６月半ばまでに結論を出す」とし、政策の見直しも示唆した。メルケル政権は事故直後、昨年秋に決めた「原発の運転延長政策」を３カ月間、凍結している。

　一方、ＤＰＡ通信によると、緑の党のエズデミル党首は「選挙結果は人々が脱原子力を求める明らかなメッセージだ」と述べ、メルケル政権に原発からの脱却を急ぐよう求める考えを示した。

　原発政策が最大の争点となった同州議会選で、緑の党は２４．２％と前回に比べて得票率を倍増。社会民主党と連立政権を樹立し、同党創設以来初となる州首相の座を獲得する見通し。メルケル首相のキリスト教民主同盟は、５８年間にわたり握ってきた同州の政権を失う。

28/03 ドイツで「緑の党」州首相誕生へ、原発安全が争点

　【ベルリン＝三好範英】ドイツ南西部バーデン・ビュルテンベルク州で２７日、州議会選挙が行われ、福島第一原発事故で独国内の原発の安全性が最大の争点となる中、脱原発を掲げる環境政党、９０年連合・緑の党が大躍進を遂げた。

　これで、基幹産業が集まる保守の牙城である同州に緑の党の州首相が誕生する見通しとなった。実現すると、ドイツで緑の党が発足した１９８０年以来、初めてとなる。

　２７日深夜の選管発表によると、緑の党は得票率２４・２％と前回選挙に比べてほぼ倍増。得票率２３・１％の社会民主党（ＳＰＤ）との合計獲得議席は過半数に達し、両党の連立による政権交代は確実となった。連立政権が誕生すると、州首相には、緑の党の州議会議員団長ウィンフリート・クレッチュマン氏が選出される見通し。同氏は２７日夜、「今や我々は歴史的な転換点に達した」と勝利宣言した。

（2011年3月28日10時48分 読売新聞）

26/03 Safety of nuclear plants a key issue in governor elections

2011/03/26

Nuclear power safety has become a key issue in gubernatorial elections scheduled for April, with incumbents seeking stricter safety standards for nuclear plants and opponents demanding the scrapping of reactor projects.

The ongoing crisis at the hobbled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture has prompted candidates to take shots at the pro-nuclear power stances of the incumbents in Hokkaido, Fukui, Shimane and Saga prefectures, which are home to nuclear power plants.

The governors have not changed their stands but have somewhat toned down their arguments. They are focusing more on ensuring that the nuclear power plants can withstand natural disasters like the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami that devastated wide areas of northeastern Japan.

Fukui Governor Issei Nishikawa, who is seeking a third term, quickly took action as the crisis unfolded at the Fukushima plant.

Six days after the earthquake, Nishikawa visited the industry ministry, which is in charge of mapping out Japan's nuclear power policy, and demanded a review of the screening process on whether nuclear facilities can withstand a huge earthquake.

Fukui Prefecture is home to 15 nuclear reactors, the most in the country.

When he was elected for the first time eight years ago, Nishikawa, with the support of an electric power company, clashed head-on with a candidate who advocated a break from the reliance on nuclear power.

"Fukui Prefecture is contributing the most of any prefecture to the country's energy policy," Nishikawa, a former central government bureaucrat, told voters Thursday, when campaigns for the first round of the unified local elections in April kicked off.

"I would like the central government and the utility company to be responsible (for the safety of nuclear power plants) in light of the current accident."

In the past two elections, Nishikawa pledged to continue to host 15 reactors. That promise has not been included in the current campaign.

A project to build two more reactors is under way in Fukui Prefecture.

But the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency's safety screening process for new reactors has been prolonged since stricter standards were set after the 2007 Niigata Chuetsu-oki Earthquake.

If tighter safety guidelines are introduced in light of the magnitude-9.0 earthquake, the reactor projects could be further delayed.

Yasushi Furukawa, the incumbent seeking a third term in Saga Prefecture, said his stand on nuclear power has not changed.

"After the Fukushima accident occurred, a chorus for abandoning nuclear power plants has grown," he told a rally Thursday. "But it is not a realistic choice to immediately halt nuclear power generation."

He said Japan's dependence on nuclear power is high--around 30 percent of all electricity produced in Japan--and that cutting nuclear power would cause an energy shortfall.

But in a manifesto announced Tuesday, he promised to take all possible measures to prevent a nuclear accident in Saga Prefecture, putting the issue at the top of his pledges. The manifesto was postponed from the scheduled March 13 release.

Hokkaido Governor Harumi Takahashi on Wednesday explained her plans to re-examine preparations for a possible nuclear accident in a meeting with four mayors of communities where the Tomari nuclear power plant is located.

In a campaign speech Thursday in Shimane Prefecture, incumbent Zenbe Mizoguchi urged the central government to drastically review its policies concerning nuclear power and energy.

Utilities are paying great attention to the words of the candidates in their campaigns.

"What incumbents are saying and doing in election campaigns after the nuclear crisis unfolded is of central concern for each power company," said a source in the energy industry.

Stricter safety standards, which voters will likely call for, could put new reactor construction projects on hold or lead to the decommissioning of older reactors, causing major headaches for their operators.

Contenders on the Japanese Communist Party's ticket are confronting the pro-nuclear incumbents in the four prefectures, criticizing their previous words touting the safety of nuclear power.

In the Saga race, JCP candidate Masakatsu Hirabayashi blasted Furukawa for stressing "the safety" of the Genkai nuclear power plant in the prefecture even after the extent of the Fukushima plant crisis emerged.

"What is the basis for his affirming the safety of Genkai, although he acknowledged that Fukushima is in danger?" Hirabayashi said.

He called for a mothballing of the No. 1 reactor of the Genkai plant, which is more than 35 years old, and a suspension of the use of a uranium-plutonium mixture, which is considered more dangerous than uranium, as fuel for the No. 3 reactor.

In a speech in Tokyo's Shinjuku district, JCP leader Kazuo Shii said his party will make Japan's nuclear power policy an issue in the unified gubernatorial and local elections.

"Projects to build 14 new reactors should be scrapped," he said. "We also strongly urge the cancellation of the use of the uranium-plutonium mixture as fuel at some reactors and the Monju prototype fast-breeder reactor."

Japan has 54 commercial reactors. Three more reactors are already under construction, and projects to build 11 others have been planned.

The first round of the unified local elections will be held April 10. A total of 39 candidates have entered the races in 12 prefectures, including Tokyo.

12/03 Iraqi Women Feel Shunted Despite Election Quota

March 12, 2011
By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT and YASIR GHAZI

BAGHDAD — Iraqi women hoped that last year’s election would cement a larger role for them in the government. But they have less political influence today than at any time since the American invasion.

No women took part in the protracted negotiations to reach a compromise government. And despite holding a quarter of the seats in Parliament, only one woman runs a ministry: women’s affairs, a largely ceremonial department with a tiny budget and few employees.

In the previous government from 2006 to 2010, four women led ministries, and in the government from 2005 to 2006, six did, including the influential ones governing public works, refugees and communications.

“I consider it a disaster,” said Ashwaq Abbas, a female member of Parliament from the Kurdish Alliance bloc. “Democracy should also include women, and the rights of women should be developed as the democracy here develops. But what’s actually happened is that the rights of women have gotten worse over time.”

Shortly after Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki managed to retain his post in December, he pledged to appoint women as ministers.

On the day he announced several members of his cabinet, one lawmaker declined to accept an appointment to be the minister of women’s affairs because she was outraged that so few women held such positions. In her place, Mr. Maliki appointed a man on an interim basis and eventually appointed a woman.

Women have long struggled for rights in the Arab world, but Iraq’s Constitution requires that a quarter of the members of Parliament be women. (Roughly 17 percent of the members of the United States Congress are women.)

Whether the quota has actually advanced the causes of women or served as window dressing remains unclear six years after Iraq ratified its Constitution. But the inability of Iraqi women to increase their influence in Parliament has underscored wider fears that women could lose standing in other facets of life, too, amid an overall drift toward more religious conservatism.

The biggest barriers for women in Parliament here are the leaders of the four blocs that eventually backed Mr. Maliki as prime minister. Each is made up of several political parties that have leaders who negotiated ministry positions as part of their agreements to join the governing coalition.

“We ended up with a power-sharing government that has all these party leaders rushing in to get their share of the pie, and the leaders are nearly all men,” said Reidar Visser, a senior research fellow at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs and the author of “A Responsible End? The United States and the Iraqi Transition, 2005-2010.”

“As part of the agreements to form the government, party leaders tend to want ministries in exchange for joining the coalition, and there are so many parties in the coalition and only so many posts,” he said.

Women have also struggled in Parliament because few have their own power bases. Only 5 of the 86 female lawmakers actually got enough votes to win seats without the quota. The remaining 81 were put there by party leaders because of the Constitution’s mandate.

“Many of those women who were chosen as part of the political parties were chosen because they were relatives of members of the party,” said Safia Taleb al-Souhail, a member of Parliament who is part of the State of Law bloc, which Mr. Maliki leads.

“The parties didn’t really think to have women inside the party itself, and just chose many of the women, like, two weeks before the election,” Ms. Souhail said. “This is what I meant exactly: there are not a lot of serious politicians.”

She said that men from her own bloc often excluded her and other women from closed meetings to discuss strategy.

Iraq was once at the forefront of women’s rights. In the 1950s, it became the first Arab country to have a female minister and to have a law that gave women the ability to ask for divorces.

But under Saddam Hussein, women had no role in the government, and the resistance movements were dominated by men. After he was ousted in 2003, women successfully lobbied the American administrator in Iraq, L. Paul Bremer III, to set up the constitutional requirement that a quarter of Parliament’s members be women.

There are demographic pressures in play, too. Today, women are believed to make up a disproportionate percentage of the Iraqi population, at least in part because so many men have died in wars in the past three decades. Iraq has not conducted a census since 1997, but the country’s electoral commission estimates that women cast 55 percent to 62 percent of the votes in the election last March.

“There are widows and women from divorce who are unable to support themselves, and there is a need for new laws to protect them, and they have not been addressed,” said Nahida al-Daeni, a woman in the Iraqiya bloc. “It will be difficult for men to deal with this because women know best what women suffer from.”

Several women, including Ms. Souhail, would like to extend the 25 percent quota to the ministries’ leadership, but analysts agree the chances of that are almost nil.

Female politicians are divided, as well, with some who are more Westernized and others who are more rooted in Islamic traditions. In fact, several women in Parliament said that they were content just being part of the government, and that the women wanting ministerial positions were just complaining to gain attention.

“The Iraqi women need to be more qualified so they can’t just impose themselves on a position,” said Emman Galal, a member of Parliament who wears the black abaya and represents the Sadrist faction, a Shiite political group loyal to the anti-American cleric Moktada al-Sadr.

Adelah Homod, a lawmaker from the State of Law bloc who wears a head covering, said that women in Parliament should not complain about their lack of power because few of them had the necessary experience to be part of the government.

Ms. Souhail rejected that notion, saying she and many other women had played significant roles in lobbying the American government during its occupation of Iraq.

“We have to start somewhere as a society, and it’s unfortunate that we are starting here,” Ms. Souhail said. “We have much more to go.”



Omar al-Jawoshy and Duraid Adnan contributed reporting.