The ruling tripartite coalition on Sunday split over the timing of the Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election, with the LDP's partners signaling that they want a successor for lame-duck Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori as soon as possible.
LDP policy chief Shizuka Kamei said Mori should implement the coalition's emergency economic package before the poll is held.
"Prime Minister Mori should decide on his own when to call the presidential election. If the prime minister thinks it is better to let someone other than him do it (implement the package), he will be irresponsible," Kamei said on a Fuji TV program.