衆院解散「全く考えず」　コロナ収束を優先―菅首相

　菅義偉首相は１８日の記者会見で、４月上旬に予定する訪米後の衆院解散・総選挙の可能性が自民党内で取り沙汰されていることについて「全く考えていない。とにかく優先すべきは新型コロナウイルスの収束。収束をしっかりさせるのが私の責務だと思っている」と述べた。
　首相は「９月までが（自民党総裁）任期だからその中で考えていくことは事実だ」としながらも、１８日に決定した変異株の監視体制強化など５本柱の新型コロナ対策に触れ、「コロナ収束に向けてしっかり対応していくのが私の役割だ」と強調した。（2021/03/18-20:30）

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Thursday he is not considering "at all" for now to break up the House of Representatives for a snap election.
   His comment came at a press conference after Hakubun Shimomura, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's policy chief, said in a speech in Tokyo the same day that the prime minister may dissolve the all-important lower chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament, after returning from his planned U.S. visit in early April.
   "Containing the novel coronavirus pandemic is the top priority," Suga said. "I believe it's my duty to fully bring it to an end."
   But Suga also said he should think about the Lower House breakup before his current tenure as LDP president, and thus prime minister, ends in September, as the current term for members of the chamber will expire in October.
   Elsewhere in the news conference, Suga expressed hopes that through the U.S. trip he can "deepen personal ties of trust with President Joe Biden and further strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance."