Aso rejects calls to dissolve lower house as trade for budget approval

TOKYO, Jan. 12 Kyodo -
Prime Minister Taro Aso rejected calls Monday to dissolve the lower house for a
snap general election in exchange for the passage of the government-proposed
budget for fiscal 2009.
''It is unthinkable'' to dissolve the House of Representatives as a trade-off
for holding a general election, Aso told a news program on Fuji Television
Network Inc.
His comments came after Ichiro Ozawa, leader of the largest opposition
Democratic Party of Japan, suggested Sunday he would be willing to support the
budget proposal on the condition that Aso dissolves the lower house for a
general election.
''We can discuss (the budget and related bills) on the premise of the
dissolution of the lower house and a general election,'' Ozawa said during a TV
program on NHK.
On the consumption tax, Aso pointed out during the Fuji program Monday the need
to raise the tax rate from 2011, while emphasizing the possibility of forgoing
the hike if the economic situation has not improved, saying the government has
proposed to raise the tax by assessing the economic situation at that time.
Referring to declines in approval rates for his Cabinet, Aso said that while he
takes them seriously, he will work toward improving the economic condition amid
the global financial crisis.
The approval rates have slipped below the 20 percent line in recently published
polls, with Fuji TV announcing during the program that the rate came to 18.2
percent while Kyodo News reported Sunday it fell to 19.2 percent, down 6.3
percentage points from the previous survey in December.
Aso also reiterated his intention to prioritize implementing economic measures
over dissolving the lower house, saying calls for the dissolution in the
current situation are ''totally different'' from his perception.
==Kyodo