「１月解散」見送りの公算　菅首相、コロナ対処優先

　来年１月の衆院解散・総選挙が見送られる公算が大きくなった。新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大を受け、菅義偉首相が当面は感染封じ込めと経済立て直しに全力を挙げるべきだとの判断に傾いた。複数の政府・与党関係者が２８日、明らかにした。これを踏まえ、通常国会は予算編成上無理のない１月中旬に召集する方針で、１８日開会を軸に最終調整する。
　新型コロナ感染者は冬場に向けて急増しており、専門家の間では「社会活動を制限せざるを得ないステージ」（政府分科会関係者）との声が出ている。首相は衆院解散に際して専門家の見解を参考にする考えをかねて示しており、首相周辺は「この局面で解散すれば批判は避けられない」と語った。（2020/11/28-16:38）

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is highly likely to refrain from dissolving the House of Representatives in January next year for a snap election in the face of a resurgence of novel coronavirus cases in the country, informed sources said Saturday.
   Suga believes that his administration should now focus on measures to contain the coronavirus epidemic and reviving the economy dampened by the virus crisis, the sources in the government and ruling coalition said.
   Based on such belief, the government and the ruling camp are considering convening next year's ordinary session of the Diet, the country's parliament, in mid-January, possibly on Jan. 18, to secure enough time for drawing up the government's budget for fiscal 2021, which starts in April.
   With the number of new coronavirus cases increasing in Japan, a source linked to the government's subcommittee on coronavirus countermeasures said that the country is in a situation where it has no choice but to limit economic activities.
   Suga has said that he would look at experts' assessments on the coronavirus infection situation when deciding the timing for dissolving the Lower House for a snap election.