LEAD: Aso dismisses idea of holding LDP presidential race before election+

TOKYO, June 25 Kyodo -
(EDS: ADDING DETAILS)
Prime Minister Taro Aso on Thursday dismissed the idea of holding a Liberal
Democratic Party presidential race in the run-up to a general election, while
saying the lower house dissolution will come ''in the not-so-distant future.''

At a press conference at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo, Aso declined
to say when to dissolve the House of Representatives, but he hinted at
exploring the possibility of its dissolution in early July for an election on
Aug. 2 as some have been speculating.
Some LDP lawmakers call on the premier to dissolve it in early July in order to
exhibit his initiative, rather than giving an impression that he is waiting
until the time when he has no other choice but dissolution.
On growing moves among LDP lawmakers to hold a party leadership poll to replace
him when the national election is due within a few months, Aso, also LDP
president, said, ''Holding a presidential election again could hurt the
public's impression of the LDP.'' He won the party presidency last September
after his predecessor Yasuo Fukuda abruptly stepped down.
In the face of plunging approval ratings for Aso's Cabinet, some LDP members
have called for a party presidential election before the general election, with
one of them collecting signatures from LDP Diet members.
The election must be held by October as the terms of lower house members are
set to expire Sept. 10.
Aso also expressed reluctance about reshuffling his Cabinet, saying, ''I don't
think I should reshuffle the Cabinet immediately. The Cabinet members are
working hard,'' fending off some opinions within the LDP that the reshuffle is
necessary to lift its sluggish support rate.
Aso did not give clear-cut responses to whether he will wait to dissolve the
lower house until high-profile bills, including one to revise the Organ
Transplant Law and another to enable Japan to inspect North Korean cargo on the
high seas, clear the Diet, whose session ends July 28.
''I will monitor how opposition parties respond,'' Aso said.
Asked what he would do if the LDP fails to win the July 12 Tokyo assembly
election, widely considered a preliminary skirmish for the general election,
Aso said he would not need to take responsibility even if the party is
defeated.
''A local election is a local election. It's different from a national
election...I don't think it will influence national politics,'' Aso said.
Aso reiterated that he alone will decide when to dissolve the lower house
regardless of the outcome of the Tokyo assembly election, saying, ''I will
decide about the dissolution at an appropriate time.''
''I was elected (as LDP president) by receiving many votes. I have
responsibility to implement the president's obligation,'' Aso said.
Aso also said what he has to do before the dissolution is to ''show the way to
realize a secure society.''
Meanwhile, Aso again said that raising the 5-percent consumption tax would be
necessary to cover the nation's ballooning social security costs.
''We can't avoid the issue of a tax hike in a bid to cover social security
costs as they swell by about 1 trillion yen every year,'' Aso said, adding that
the government plans to drastically reform the tax system on the condition of
an economic upturn after three years.
''The ruling party can't do such an irresponsible thing as promising to offer
services without financial sources,'' Aso said, criticizing the main opposition
Democratic Party of Japan, which says it will not raise the consumption tax for
four years even if it wins power in the upcoming general election.
==Kyodo