No snap polls: Japan's PM

Japan's Prime Minister Taro Aso said yesterday he would not call a snap election despite opposition demands, saying he needs to focus on the country's sputtering economy.
Aso, who took office in September, has seen his popularity plummet in recent months and the opposition has called for him to prove he has a public mandate.
Aso can dissolve parliament and call elections at any time, but he does not need to do so for the lower house until their terms run out next September.
Aso said yesterday that it was not the right time to call elections as he needs to monitor the economy to make sure it does not weaken further.
"We are not in a situation in which we can discuss such things," he said at a news conference.
The world's second-largest economy fell into a recession in the third quarter, and signs since then point toward more misery ahead. The latest outlook by the Cabinet Office projects Japan's economy to shrink this fiscal year and manage only flat growth the following year.
Public support for Japan's government has plummeted amid disappointment over the new prime minister's economic efforts. Surveys earlier this month by three major newspapers the Yomiuri, Mainichi and Asahi showed backing for opposition leader Ichiro Ozawa had risen above Aso for the first time.
Earlier in the day, Aso's Cabinet approved a record-high budget proposal To Whom It May Concern:battle the recession. Aso described the spending plan as a "bold budget to protect people's lives."
"I think the public understands the importance of implementing our plans," he said.