Mr. Hatoyama must rely on experts to resolve the Futenma issue
(From The Japan Times May 10 issue)

普天間政策に専門家らの助言を

After his visit to Okinawa Prefecture on May 4, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama finds himself at an impasse over the issue of the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa. He must learn from mistakes made so far and strive to resolve this issue.

Maybe due to his lack of experience in security issues, he apparently thought the issue could be resolved easily. He repeatedly stated that he would like to move Futenma's functions outside Okinawa Prefecture, leaving people with high expectations that later became a political burden for him. He must learn the importance of behind-the-scenes consensus-building before any important announcement.

Probably because of his character, he habitually avoided making political statements that might seem unpleasant to the person he was speaking to. It is still unclear whether he firmly told U.S. President Barack Obama that to lighten the burden on Okinawans, he would like to pursue a change in the 2006 Japan-U.S. agreement on the Futenma relocation.

As a leader, he must learn that there are times when he must confront others to achieve his political goals. He also must not let Cabinet members put him in a difficult position by making statements without coordinating with him.

Bound by the Democratic Party of Japan's slogan of lawmakers taking the initiative in deciding policy matters, he failed to understand there are times that he must rely on bureaucrats who have knowledge, experience and negotiation skills. Regrettably, it appears that he has not exhausted every possible option for resolving the Futenma issue ? a sign that he failed to fully utilize the information and expertise accumulated in the bureaucracy.

At this stage, he must be careful not to put himself under the spell of his self-imposed May 31 deadline. Imposition of the reported plan of building a pile-supported runway off Camp Schwab would cause strong opposition and risk creating an uncontrollable situation in Okinawa. He must humbly seek advice from experts within and outside government, and unify the Cabinet and bureaucracy to move the issue.

沖縄訪問後、普天間問題で行き詰まる鳩山首相は、失敗から学び、問題解決に努めるべきだ。

首相はこの問題の解決が簡単だと思ったようで、県外移設を唱え続け、沖縄県民の期待は高まった。その期待が今では負担となっている。重要発言の前には根回しが必要なことを認識すべきだ。首相は相手を不快にさせる政治発言ができない性格のようで、オバマ大統領に対しても、沖縄県民の負担軽減のために日米合意に基づく現行案を変更したいと明言したかどうかも不明だ。だが政治目標達成のためには対決も必要だ。脱官僚という公約に縛られず、知識や経験が豊富で交渉の術を知る官僚に頼るべき時もある。

この段階では月内決着にとらわれないようにすべきだ。政府内外の専門家の助言を仰ぎ、内閣と官僚をまとめて問題にあたるべきだ。