立・国合流協議、越年へ　玉木氏「根本折り合わず」

　国民民主党の玉木雄一郎代表は２５日の記者会見で、立憲民主党との合流協議について「根本で折り合っていない。政策、理念の擦り合わせができるかが大事になってくる」と述べ、合意には時間を要するとの認識を示した。これに関連し、国民民主幹部は「年内合意はない」と明言した。
　玉木氏は会見で「（来月の）通常国会開会、衆院解散時期などを勘案し、両党幹事長で精力的に詰めている」と説明。国民民主はこの後、総務会を開き、合流協議を担当する平野博文幹事長が次期衆院選の候補者調整や地方組織職員の処遇など２０項目について話し合っていると報告し、「交渉は越年する可能性が高い」と語った。（2019/12/25-22:32）

The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Democratic Party for the People are unlikely to conclude their merger negotiations by the end of the year, senior DPFP officials have suggested.
   The two major Japanese opposition parties "have yet to reach consensus on fundamental issues," DPFP leader Yuichiro Tamaki told a press conference on Wednesday. "The focus is whether we can find common ground on policies and philosophy," he added.
   A senior DPFP official separately said, "We'll unlikely reach an agreement by year-end."
   Tamaki said that secretaries-general of the two parties are currently promoting the merger talks while taking into consideration such political events as next year's ordinary session of the Diet, Japan's parliament, which will start next month, and a possible breakup of the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of the Diet, for a snap election.
   At a DPFP general council meeting later on Wednesday, the party's secretary-general, Hirofumi Hirano, reported that the DPFP and the CDPJ are discussing 20 items related to their envisaged merger, including the coordination of candidates in the next Lower House election. "The merger talks are highly likely to be extended into next year," he said.