立民・枝野氏、代表選出馬へ　「首相候補」に意欲

　立憲民主党の枝野幸男前代表（６０）は９日、国会内で記者団に対し、泉健太代表（５０）の任期満了に伴う党代表選（９月７日告示、同２３日投開票）に立候補すると表明した。２１日に記者会見を開き、公約などを発表する。出馬を明言したのは枝野氏が初めて。泉氏も再選を目指して出馬する考えを周辺に示している。
　枝野氏は代表選の争点について「自民党と競い合う首相候補として誰が望ましいかの一点だ」と強調。「私なりの選択肢を示し、広く国民、党員・サポーターに問いたいとの思いから決意した」と語った。（2024/08/09-19:53）

Yukio Edano, former leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said Friday that he will run in the party's leadership election scheduled for Sept. 23.
   Edano, 60, will hold a press conference on Aug. 21 to announce his campaign pledges. The election comes as the term of current CDP leader Kenta Izumi, 50, expires at the end of September.
   The focal point of the election "is simply who is the most suited to be a prime minister hopeful who can compete with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party," he told reporters Friday.
   "I made the decision as I wanted to offer my own options and seek an answer from the people, as well as party members and supporters," he added.
   Edano, a member of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, stepped down as CDP leader following the party's defeat in the 2021 Lower House election.