公明・山口代表、退任表明　在任１５年「次世代にバトン」

　公明党の山口那津男代表（７２）は１０日の記者会見で、１８日告示の党代表選への出馬を見送り、今期限りで退任する意向を表明した。「中堅・若手も育ち、新しい陣容を整える状況が来た」と強調。自民党総裁選などを念頭に「政治の世界に世代交代の波が押し寄せている。次の世代にバトンを譲るべきだと決断した」と語った。
　公明代表の交代は１５年ぶり。代表選では出馬の意向を固めている石井啓一幹事長（６６）以外に立候補の動きはなく、石井氏が２８日の党大会で新代表に選出される見通しだ。
　山口氏は２００９年、当時の太田昭宏代表の衆院選落選を受け、急きょ後任に就任。在任期間は１９９８年の党再結成以来最長の８期を記録した。公明は新幹事長に西田実仁選対委員長（６２）を充てる方向で調整。次代を担う中堅クラスの党幹部起用も検討している。（2024/09/10-12:24）

Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi said Tuesday that he plans to stand down as chief of the coalition partner of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party when his current term expires.
   Yamaguchi, 72, told a press conference that he will not run in the party chief election, whose official campaign period starts on Sept. 18.
   "Young and middle-ranking party members have grown, and it is time to prepare a new team," he said.
   "The wave of generational change is approaching in the political world," he continued, referring to upcoming leadership elections at the LDP and other parties. "I have decided to hand the baton to the next generation."
   It is Komeito's first leadership change in 15 years. Party Secretary-General Keiichi Ishii, 66, is the only person currently preparing a bid for the post, so he is expected to be chosen as the successor at a party convention on Sept. 28.