党首討論、今国会開かれず　野党、集中審議を優先

　安倍晋三首相（自民党総裁）と野党党首による党首討論が今国会では開かれない見通しとなった。会期末を１２月９日に控え、党首討論の定例日は同４日が最後。「桜を見る会」問題の早期幕引きを図りたい与党側が消極的なことに加え、野党も衆参両院の予算委員会集中審議の開催要求を優先しているためだ。
　立憲民主党の安住淳国対委員長は２７日、記者団から党首討論を呼び掛ける考えがあるかを問われ、「（討論で）お茶を濁して済む話ではない。集中審議でないと駄目だ」と強調。共産党の穀田恵二国対委員長も記者会見で「集中審議を実現するために力を尽くす」と述べた。（2019/11/27-15:45）

No direct debate between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and opposition leaders is now expected to take place during the ongoing session of parliament through Dec. 9.
   The ruling coalition is reluctant to hold such a debate as it is eager to contain a high-profile scandal involving an annual prime minister-hosted cherry blossom-viewing party.
   The opposition camp, meanwhile, is hoping to hold intensive deliberations on the controversial government-funded cherry blossom party in the budget committees of both parliamentary chambers, rather than a 45-minute debate with the prime minister.
   "It's not a matter that can be finished (through a short debate)," Jun Azumi, parliamentary affairs chief of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, told reporters on Wednesday. "Only intensive deliberations are acceptable," he stressed.
   "We'll make every effort to hold intensive deliberations" in the budget committees, Japanese Communist Party parliamentary affairs chief Keiji Kokuta told a press conference the same day.