DPJ's Ozawa to mull resignation immediately before election: Hatoyama+

TOKYO, March 29 Kyodo - Ichiro Ozawa, president of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan who
recently decided to remain in the post despite the indictment of an aide for
alleged fundraising irregularities, will make a decision anew on whether he
should step down immediately before the next lower house election, the party's
No. 2 man said Sunday.

Yukio Hatoyama, the DPJ's secretary general, said during a program on Fuji
Television that he suggested to Ozawa that both of them should resign if the
public still has a ''stern'' attitude to the party over the issue immediately
before the election, which must be held by October, and that Ozawa agreed to
the proposal.
''I'm serving as secretary general under Mr. Ozawa. When he dies, I die, too,''
Hatoyama said, indicating that he will step down from his party post in the
event Ozawa quits as DPJ leader.
On Tuesday, Ozawa said it is his ''lifetime dream'' to topple the ruling bloc
of the Liberal Democratic Party and the New Komeito party and vowed to ''live
up to everyone's expectations'' after secretary Takanori Okubo was indicted for
having falsified funding reports on donations from general contractor
Nishimatsu Construction Co.
==Kyodo