Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's readiness to hold a general election next month has sent shock waves through his Democratic Party of Japan, whose ranks worry the campaign will spell their doom.
DPJ Secretary General Azuma Koshiishi has led the resistance to an early dissolution of the Lower House, which people close to Noda say could take place next week, paving the way for an election on either Dec. 16 or 22.
Koshiishi, who should be Noda's right-hand man, has appeared unfazed by the recent flurry of speculation that Noda may hold the election soon despite the DPJ's slim chance for victory. The party, suffering badly in public opinion polls, holds a tenuous majority in the Lower House.