Jun 29 10:03 AM US/EasternTOKYO, June 29 (AP) - (Kyodo)—Hidenao Nakagawa, former secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, on Monday repeated his demand for Prime Minister Taro Aso to step down amid moves within the party to replace the unpopular Aso before an upcoming general election.
"In order to improve the current situation, it is best that the prime minister step down," Nakagawa was quoted as telling a meeting of around 20 LDP lawmakers who are critical of Aso, lawmakers who attended the meeting said.
Another former LDP security general, Tsutomu Takebe, also called at the meeting for Aso, who doubles as party president, to be replaced with a new leader after an LDP presidential election ahead of the House of Representatives election, which must be held by October, the lawmakers said.
Aso told reporters on Monday evening that he has no intention of holding an LDP presidential election before the general election, adding that he will decide on the timing for the dissolution of the lower house and the election.
The LDP meeting was attended by so-called "Koizumi children" who first entered the lower house after the 2005 election on the overwhelming popularity of then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
Koizumi, who also attended the meeting, said that the upcoming election will be "unprecedentedly difficult for the LDP," the participants said.
A group of around 10 LDP lawmakers who maintain a distance from Aso, including former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki, held a separate meeting in Tokyo.
Some LDP members also expressed caution about the prime minister reshuffling the LDP leadership in a bid to regain popularity.
On whether he is considering reshuffling the LDP leadership or his Cabinet, Aso said, "I am not thinking about it at this point."
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