Asia-Pacific

Japan PM vows to make new start after election loss

(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-07-29 16:25

TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan apologised to his ruling party on Thursday for a stinging loss in this month's upper house election, and promised to do his best to make a fresh start, implying he intends to stay in his job.

Related readings:  Japan PM pounded in poll rout  Japan PM in danger of missing election target  Japan PM spurns away snap election plan

Kan's Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and its tiny ally lost their upper house majority in a July 11 election after Kan, who has made fiscal reform a priority, floated a possible doubling of the 5 percent sales tax to rein in the country's massive public debt.

The Democrats will hold a party leadership election in early September and speculation is simmering that Kan may face a challenge.