安倍首相「頭の片隅にもない」　自民総裁任期延長を否定

　安倍晋三首相は１２日放送のＮＨＫ番組で、来年９月までの自民党総裁任期の延長について「本当に考えていない。頭の片隅にもない」と重ねて否定した。その上で「（期限切れまで）まだ１年９カ月もある。この間に燃焼し尽くす決意で臨みたい」と語った。
　首相は「私自身の手で憲法改正を成し遂げたいとの思いに全く揺らぎはない」と強調。ただ、改憲論議を進めるための衆院解散・総選挙に関しては、「解散すべき時が来たと思えば解散にちゅうちょはないが、現在のところ全く考えていない」と述べるにとどめた。
　一方、統合型リゾート（ＩＲ）事業をめぐる汚職事件で衆院議員秋元司容疑者が逮捕された事件について、首相は「誠に遺憾だ」と改めて表明。「国民の中にさまざまな不信があると思う」と述べ、ＩＲ推進に向けて国民の信頼回復に努める考えを示した。
　首相の番組収録は１０日に行われた。（2020/01/12-11:29）

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has again denied speculation that he wants to change Liberal Democratic Party rules in order to stay on as LDP president longer than currently allowed.
   "I'm not thinking (about such a thing) at all," Abe said in a television program aired Sunday by public broadcaster Japan Broadcasting Corp., or NHK. His remark was recorded Friday.
   "I still have one year and nine months" until the end of the term, he said. "I'm determined to dedicate everything I can to my work."
   Abe is in the third consecutive three-year term as head of the ruling party. The long uninterrupted tenure became possible after an LDP rule revision.
   The LDP would need to revise its rules again for Abe to serve a fourth consecutive term as party head, thus allowing him to remain prime minister.