芳野連合会長、自民党大会出席見送り　統一選への影響懸念

　連合の芳野友子会長は、２６日の自民党大会への出席を見送る方向で調整に入った。４月の統一地方選を控え、自民党に接近していると映る動きは、望ましくないと判断したとみられる。複数の関係者が１５日、明らかにした。
　関係者によると、自民党が水面下で出席を打診。連合は一時出席に傾いたものの、「統一地方選が戦いにくくなる」との懸念が噴出した。これを踏まえ、自民党も正式な招待を見送ったという。（2023/02/15-16:11）

The leader of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, or Rengo, does not plan to attend an upcoming party convention of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, it was learned Wednesday.
   Rengo President Tomoko Yoshino apparently believes that it would be undesirable for her to be regarded as being too close to the LDP ahead of unified local elections in April, informed sources said.
   Rengo is a major support base for the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and also for the Democratic Party for the People, both opposition parties.
   Although Rengo initially considered attendance at the Feb. 26 LDP convention by Yoshino, some Rengo officials indicated concerns over a negative impact at the local elections, prompting the LDP to forgo a plan to extend an official invitation for her, according to the sources.
   Since then Rengo President Kiyoshi Sasamori attended the 2005 party convention of the LDP, no Rengo chiefs have taken part in an LDP convention.