The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Tokyo

Japan's new Prime Minister Taro Aso on Monday brushed aside talk of calling a snap election, vowing instead to concentrate on revitalising the ailing economy as he struggles to win over voters.

Speaking in parliament just two weeks after taking office, Aso indicated he was not minded to put his government to the test just yet, amid poll ratings which have disappointed ruling party leaders.

"Our priority is to let the supplementary budget pass. Therefore, I don't have dissolution (of parliament) in mind at this stage," Aso said.

"I presume that what people are most concerned about right now are the prospects for the economy," he said.

Aso was speaking to a parliamentary committee which is looking at an extra 1.81 trillion yen (17 billion dollar) budget that he has proposed to help the world's second largest economy cope with rising prices.

He is also looking at additional funding to help stimulate Japan's economy, which is teetering on recession as the global financial crisis saps foreign demand for its exports.

The former foreign minister took over as premier on September 24 from Yasuo Fukuda, who resigned amid sagging popularity after raising medical costs for elderly people to ease the budget burden.

But Aso's initial poll ratings disappointed strategists in his conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) who hoped he could call an election quickly to contain a rising opposition, which controls one house of parliament.

The latest opinion poll by the Asahi Shimbun showed public support for the Aso cabinet has slid even further, falling to 41 percent now from 48 percent immediately after he took office.