自民・渡海氏、政治改革に意欲　政調会長就任受け入れ

　自民党の渡海紀三朗元文部科学相（７５）は２１日、岸田文雄首相（党総裁）から政調会長就任を打診され、受け入れたことを明らかにした。渡海氏は無派閥。首相官邸で記者団に対し、就任後は政治改革に力を入れたいとの考えを示した。
　自民党派閥の政治資金規正法違反事件を受けた人事で、安倍派の萩生田光一政調会長の後任となる。首相は同じく安倍派の高木毅国対委員長の後任に無派閥の浜田靖一前防衛相（６８）を充てる人事と併せ、２２日に正式に決める方針だ。
　渡海氏によると、２０日に首相から電話で打診を受け、「私でよければ」と応じたという。（2023/12/21-11:49）

Former Japanese education minister Kisaburo Tokai said Thursday that he has accepted an offer by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to become new policy chief of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
   Tokai is set to replace Koichi Hagiuda, who tendered his resignation last week over a high-profile political funds scandal involving the LDP's biggest faction, previously led by the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
   Hagiuda is a senior member of the Abe faction, while Tokai does not belong to any faction within the LDP.
   Kishida, also LDP president, plans to name former Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada as the party's parliamentary affairs chief to replace Tsuyoshi Takagi, another Abe faction member who also handed in his resignation last week over the scandal. Hamada does not belong to any LDP faction.
   The appointments of Tokai and Hamada are expected to be formally approved on Friday.