Advertisement

Japanese elections likely in spring

Prime Minister Taro Aso of Japan participates in the G20 Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy at the National Building Museum in Washington on November 15, 2008. (UPI Photo/Ron Sachs/POOL)
Prime Minister Taro Aso of Japan participates in the G20 Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy at the National Building Museum in Washington on November 15, 2008. (UPI Photo/Ron Sachs/POOL) | License Photo

NAGANO, Japan, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- General elections in Japan will likely happen in spring, after its parliament passes the fiscal 2009 national budget, the ruling party's leader says.

Hiroyuki Hosoda, secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said Monday during a speech in Nagano that the lower house of the Japanese Diet won't likely be dissolved until a budget is enacted early next year, the Kyodo news service reported.

Advertisement

"I think (dissolution) will come around next spring or later," Hosoda said. "The reasonable thing to do is to wage a political struggle after compiling the budget as well as (revising) the taxation system and gaining parliamentary approval for them."

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso has also said he intends to dissolve the House of Representatives next spring or later after the Diet passes a budget, hopefully before the end of the current fiscal year on March 31, Kyodo reported.

Latest Headlines