Mori faces ballot in June

Election on dead PM's birthday

By Tokyo correspondent Charles Scanlon

Japanese prime minister Yoshiro Mori has confirmed that a general election will be held on 25 June.

The date coincides with the birthday of his predecessor, Keizo Obuchi, who died on Sunday following a stroke at the beginning of April.

In recent days, Mr Mori has been fighting off calls for his resignation following controversial comments about the role of the emperor.

Japan's governing Liberal Democratic Party has been trying to delay the poll for as long as possible because of concerns about the still fragile economy.

It need not dissolve parliament until October, but the collapse and replacement of Mr Obuchi last month brought matters to a head, and put Mr Mori under pressure to seek a mandate from the public.

The secretive political deal that gave him the leadership has come in for widespread criticism. He may also feel the need to establish his legitimacy before hosting the G-8 meeting of industrialised countries in July.

The way ahead

But Mr Mori will enter the election with some apprehension.The economic recovery remains extremely weak, with unemployment still at a record high.

Mr Mori himself, with his forthright conservative views and lack of tact, could hardly have got off to a worse start.

He stirred up a political storm on Monday by describing Japan as a divine country, with the Emperor at its centre.

That brought back memories of Japan's militaristic expansion in the 1930s and 1940s, and led to calls for his resignation.

The governing party is banking on public sympathy for the late Mr Obuchi to see it through the election.

That is why it has chosen his birthday as the election date. It will also be hoping for some good news about this year's economic growth prospects before polling day.