Japanese PM dissolves parliament

Japans Prime Minister Taro Aso has dissolved parliament and called a national election on 30 August, after gaining official cabinet backing. Mr Aso called the elections early after his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lost control of Tokyos municipal assembly. Opinion polls suggest that the LDP could lose heavily to the opposition Democratic Party in the upcoming vote. A win for the Democratic Party would end five decades of almost uninterrupted rule by the LDP. Japan is in deep recession and correspondents say that at times the prime minister has appeared indecisive. Last week, Mr Aso survived a no-confidence motion put forward by the opposition in the lower house. But the upper house, which is dominated by the opposition, passed a similar motion. Mr Asos position had been further weakened after the LDP lost control of Tokyo city council in elections on 12 July. Correspondents say the Democratic Party favors more independence from the US, a greater Japanese contribution to peacekeeping missions, and a smaller role for government. Mr Aso is the fourth prime minister since the party won the last election to the more powerful lower house of parliament in 2005.