Japan PM apologises for failures
Published:Tuesday | July 21, 2009 | 12:15 PM
Japan\'s Prime Minister Taro Aso has publicly apologised for what he called his failures and for his ruling party\'s string of local election losses, according to a report on www.news.bbc.co.uk.
He spoke hours after dissolving parliament ahead of an early general election scheduled for August 30th.
Opinion polls suggest the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) could lose heavily to the opposition Democratic Party (DPJ) in the election.
A DPJ victory would end five decades of almost uninterrupted rule by the LDP.
\'\"My shortcomings caused mistrust from the public and I apologise from my heart for this,\" Mr Aso said to his party\'s legislators in a televised speech.
\"I reflect humbly on this situation and will fulfill my responsibilities while keeping in mind the people who support the LDP.\"
He also apologised for a series of LDP defeats in local elections. It was after losing control of the Tokyo assembly two weeks ago that Mr Aso said he was calling an election for 30 August.