The ruling Liberal Democratic Party has had a majority in the lower house for most of the past 50 years.
But the main opposition, the Democratic Party of Japan, has won a series of local elections and drawn broad support in recent polls.
The party that wins a majority in the lower house picks the prime minister and government ministers from among its ranks.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP´s earlier story is below.
TOKYO (AP) — Japan´s prime minister has dissolves the powerful lower house of parliament and called national elections.
The speaker of the lower house announced the move Tuesday, setting the stage for a vote that could trigger a rare change in Japan´s political leadership. Aso has said he will call the national vote for Aug. 30.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party has had a majority in the lower house for most of the past 50 years.
But the main opposition, the Democratic Party of Japan, has won a series of local elections and drawn broad support in recent polls.
The party that wins a majority in the lower house picks the prime minister and government ministers from among its ranks.
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