安倍派「塩谷・下村氏」体制に　名称存続、会長は当面空席

　自民党最大派閥の安倍派は１９日、党本部で臨時幹事会を開き、会長だった安倍晋三元首相死去後の体制について、会長空席のまま当面は幹部の役職を維持することで一致した。今後も「安倍派」を名乗るが、塩谷立、下村博文両会長代理が派を束ねていく体制で再出発する。２１日の総会で正式決定する。
　会合には衛藤征士郎最高顧問や山谷えり子座長、西村康稔事務総長、世耕弘成参院安倍派会長ら約２０人が出席した。塩谷氏は自身が「まとめ役」になるとしつつ、「派として結束が大事だ。安倍氏が作った体制を継承しよう」と提案。全員が賛同したという。出席者からは「分裂だけは避けよう」との声が上がり、下村氏が「一致団結していこう」と呼び掛けた。（2022/07/19-19:14）

Executives of the largest faction in Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which was led by slain former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, agreed Tuesday to keep calling the group the Abe faction.
   At a special meeting, the executives agreed to maintain their current posts without appointing a new faction leader succeeding Abe for now and have acting leaders Ryu Shionoya and Hakubun Shimomura manage the faction. The agreement is expected to be approved at a general faction meeting Thursday.
   Tuesday's meeting was attended by some 20 executives, including supreme adviser Seishiro Eto, deputy head Eriko Yamatani, top secretary Yasutoshi Nishimura and Hiroshige Seko, chairman of the faction in the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the country's parliament.
   "It's important to unite as a faction," Shionoya told the meeting, adding that he will serve as a facilitator.
   All participants supported Shionoya's proposal "to inherit the structure created by Mr. Abe," according to informed sources.