Japan
PM signals election can wait, defies opposition
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201210290100
Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda made clear on Oct. 29
he was in no rush to go to the polls, speaking of the risk of a "political
vacuum" in a speech likely to anger an opposition that has urged him to
keep a promise to call an election soon.
The ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) swept to power in
2009 and holds a slim majority in the powerful lower house of parliament, but
the opposition's domination of the upper house has it allowed it to block
crucial budget deficit funding legislation.
The opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is using the
issue to press Noda into calling an early election, at a time when opinion
polls show Noda is likely to lose any vote.