Unpopular Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso may face a struggle to keep his job after his ruling bloc was soundly defeated in a weekend Tokyo election seen as a bellwether for a national poll to be held within three months, according to Reuters. Aso told senior ruling party lawmakers today he planned to dissolve parliament's lower house as early as Tuesday and was set to unveil that plan on Monday, Kyodo news agency reported, adding the likely date for the vote would be Aug. 8. But many in the ruling bloc are opposed to a move they fear would be political suicide. Aso's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior partner lost their majority in the Tokyo assembly, while the opposition Democratic Party won the most seats in the vote, which is considered a barometer for the national election. LDP executive Nobuteru Ishihara, asked earlier if the party would fight the general election under Aso, dodged the question. "That the LDP could not unify including on this point (Aso's leadership) is one reason for this harsh judgment," he said. "If we don't overcome this, we cannot regain the trust of the people." Ishihara added that while a decision on when to call an election was up to Aso, he felt time was needed to re-unite the party. NHK public TV said Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura and LDP Secretary General Hiroyuki Hosoda agreed in talks on Sunday the outcome of the Tokyo vote would not affect national politics and Aso would not be blamed for a defeat. However, Kyodo quoted another unidentified ruling party executive as saying: "This is a great blow against the Aso government." Media said some younger LDP lawmakers who have expressed dissatisfaction with Aso met at a Tokyo hotel on Sunday night.
