公明新代表に斉藤鉄夫氏　安定感重視、国交相交代へ

　公明党は新たな代表に斉藤鉄夫国土交通相（７２）を起用する方針を固めた。衆院選で落選し、代表辞任を表明した石井啓一氏（６６）の後任。党の再建を急ぐため、世代交代よりベテランの安定感を重視した。就任に伴い、斉藤氏は国交相を退任する意向。複数の関係者が２日、明らかにした。
　７日の中央幹事会で内定し、９日の臨時党大会で正式に選出する運び。公明は第２次石破内閣の発足を前提に、国交相人事について調整を進める。新たな執行部体制に関しては、西田実仁幹事長（６２）は留任する方向となっている。
　衆院選で公明は公示前の３２議席から２４議席に後退した。候補を擁立した１１小選挙区では石井氏を含めて７人が落選。比例代表の得票数も５９６万票と、現行制度下で初めて６００万票を割り込み、窮地に立っている。（2024/11/02-17:37）

Komeito, the junior party in Japan's ruling coalition, plans to appoint land minister Tetsuo Saito as its next leader, informed sources said Saturday.
   Saito, 72, is expected to be informally picked as Komeito leader by the party leadership on Thursday, before being formally elected at an extraordinary party convention on Nov. 9, according to the sources.
   He will succeed Keiichi Ishii, who became Komeito head only on Sept. 28 but announced his resignation on Thursday after losing his seat in Sunday's election for the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of the country's parliament.
   The party hopes to rebuild itself swiftly under the veteran Saito. Although tapping the oldest lawmaker in the party to take the helm runs counter the trend of selecting younger leaders, Komeito determined that his experience is necessary ahead of elections for the Tokyo metropolitan assembly and the House of Councillors, the upper parliamentary chamber, both slated for next summer, the sources said.
   The 11-term Lower House lawmaker has served in key party posts such as policy chief and secretary-general as well as the position of environment minister. He has served as land minister since the launch of the cabinet led by former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in 2021.