自民と立憲、党首討論開催へ調整　２年ぶり、菅首相就任後初

　自民党の森山裕、立憲民主党の安住淳両国対委員長が２６日、国会内で会談し、６月１６日に会期末を迎える今国会中の党首討論開催に向けて調整することで合意した。同９日を軸に検討する。開催されれば２０１９年６月以来２年ぶりで、菅義偉首相の就任後初となる。
　党首討論は立憲側が要求。会談後、森山氏は記者団に「２年間行われていないので前向きに検討したい」と語った。
　一方、安住氏は「基本的には（開催に）合意した。今国会最大のヤマ場を迎える」と記者団に強調。東京五輪・パラリンピック開催や国会会期延長の是非などが主要なテーマになるとの認識を示した。
　これに先立ち、立憲など野党３党は国対委員長会談を開催し、党首討論の実施を求めていくことを申し合わせた。（2021/05/26-11:39）

Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan agreed on Wednesday to make arrangements to hold a direct debate of party leaders during the ongoing parliamentary session, set to end on June 16.
   The LDP and the CDP will consider scheduling the debate for around June 9, according to the agreement struck between Hiroshi Moriyama, parliamentary affairs chief of the LDP, and his CDP counterpart, Jun Azumi. The debate was called for by the CDP side.
   If realized, the debate would be the first of its kind for Prime Minister and LDP President Yoshihide Suga, who took office in September 2020. The last time a direct debate of party leaders took place was June 2019.
   "We want to consider (the debate) proactively," as one did not take place in the past two years, Moriyama told reporters after his meeting with Azumi.
   The LDP and the CDP "basically agreed (to hold the debate)," Azumi said, stressing that the debate will be the "critical point of the current parliamentary session."