菅首相、下村政調会長と会談　総裁選へ進退迫ったか

　菅義偉首相（７２）は３０日午前、自民党の下村博文政調会長（６７）を首相官邸に呼び、１０分余り会談した。下村氏は、首相が再選を目指す９月の党総裁選への出馬に意欲を示している。ただ、党内には現職党幹部の出馬を疑問視する声もあり、首相が進退の判断を迫った可能性がある。
　これに関し、政府高官は「下村氏が総裁選に出るなら、政調会長を続けるのは無理だ」と述べた。
　下村氏は記者団の取材に応じなかった。この後、自身が所属する最大派閥・細田派出身の安倍晋三前首相と衆院議員会館で会談した。（2021/08/30-12:45）

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Monday met with Hakubun Shimomura, policy chief of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and a potential candidate in the LDP's leadership race.
   Shimomura, chairman of the LDP's Policy Research Council, has expressed interest in challenging Suga for the post of party president in the Sept. 29 election.
   Some in the LDP have questioned Shimomura's bid, saying that a current member of the party's leadership team should not run against the incumbent president.
   During their 10-minute meeting, Suga may have pressed Shimomura to decide whether to remain in the post of LDP policy chief or step down.
   "If Shimomura is going to run in the presidential election, he can't continue as chairman of the Policy Research Council," a senior government official said.