Prime Minister Taro Aso said Monday he is not considering dissolving the Lower House for now, as the Diet began deliberations on the ¥1.8 trillion extra budget.
The remark is another sign that Aso has grown hesitant about calling an election, given the lower-than-expected opinion poll ratings for his Cabinet and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
"The people's main concern is anxiety over the future of the economy," Aso told the Lower House Budget Committee in comments aired nationally by NHK.
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