江田五月氏死去、８０歳　参院議長、法相など歴任

　社民連代表を務め、法相などを歴任した江田五月（えだ・さつき）元参院議長が２８日午前８時３６分、肺炎のため、岡山市の病院で死去した。８０歳だった。同市出身。葬儀は３１日午後１時から、同市南区福吉町３１の２０のアーバンホール岡南で近親者のみで行う。喪主は妻京子（きょうこ）さん。後日お別れの会を開く。
　江田氏は裁判官出身。実父で社会党書記長を務めた三郎氏の死去を受け、１９７７年の参院選全国区に社民連から立候補し、初当選。衆院へくら替え後、参院に戻り、当選回数は衆参それぞれ４回に及んだ。
　８５年には社民連代表に就任。９３年の細川連立政権に参画し、科学技術庁長官で初入閣。その後は日本新党、新進党を経て、９８年の民主党結成に参加した。２００７年の参院選で衆参の与野党勢力が逆転する「ねじれ国会」となる中、参院議長に就任し、同党で初めて三権の長の一角を占めた。
　民主党政権下では、菅再改造内閣で法相を務め、その後に環境相も兼務。議長経験者としては極めて異例な入閣を果たした。１６年の参院選に出馬せず政界を引退した。（2021/07/28-16:33）

Satsuki Eda, former president of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of Japan's parliament, died of pneumonia at a hospital in the western city of Okayama on Wednesday. He was 80.
   The judge-turned-politician was first elected to the Upper House in 1977, following the death of his father, Saburo Eda, former secretary-general of the then socialist party.
   In 1985, Eda became leader of a party established by former socialist party members. In 1993, he got his first cabinet job, appointed as head of the then Science and Technology Agency under the coalition government led by Morihiro Hosokawa.
   After belonging to two different parties later, Eda took part in the launch of the Democratic Party of Japan in 1998.
   Eda was picked as Upper House president in 2007, at a time of "twisted parliament" with the two parliamentary chambers respectively controlled by the ruling and opposition camps.