Friday's passage of the fiscal 2009 budget and related bills through the Lower House was bittersweet for Prime Minister Taro Aso, who still faces the dilemma of when to call a general election.
Amid the global financial crisis, Aso repeatedly stressed he was prioritizing approval of the budget and implementation of various economic measures, and everything else — including a general election that must be held by fall — would have to wait.
But now, with the budget set to clear the Diet by the end of March, Aso must turn his attention to improving his sinking support rate and the timing of the Lower House poll.