The ruling coalition faces real challenges as the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) became the leading party in Sunday's Tokyo metropolitan assembly election, which is seen as a bellwether for the upcoming general election.

DPJ gained 54 seats out of the total of 127, compared with 38 seats of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The New Komeito party won 23 seats, making the ruling bloc's total seats 61.

Since the ruling bloc of the LDP and the New Komeito party fails to achieve its target of retaining a majority, there could be strong moves within the LDP to hold a presidential election to replace Prime Minister Taro Aso as its head prior to the lower house election.

Aso's leadership ability was challenged after a series of ministerial resignations. There has been voices from some LDP legislators asking him to step down. However, many analysts believed even changing the leader could not save LDP's fate in the election.

Among the other seats, Japanese Communist Party secured eight, while Tokyo Seikatsusha Network won two and other two seats belong to independents, according to results disclosed by Kyodo News and state broadcaster NHK.

Before the election, 48 assembly members belonged to the LDP, 34 to the DPJ, 22 to New Komeito, 13 to the Japanese Communist Party and four to Tokyo Seikatsusha Network. Four other assembly members were independents and two seats were vacant.

Kyodo News said voter turnout stood at 54.49 percent, up 10.5 points from the previous election.

Aso, who returned to Japan Saturday from Group of Eight Summit in Italy, appeared not willing to give up fighting on. He was quoted as telling top government spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura Saturday night "the results of the Tokyo assembly election are not related to national politics."

Kawamura and LDP Secretary General Hiroyuki Hosoda agreed Sunday evening to make efforts so that the outcome of the Tokyo polls does not affect national politics and to leave the decision of the timing for the lower house dissolution to Aso's discretion, according to Kyodo News, quoting an unspecified government source.

LDP already lost to DPJ for the fourth straight major local elections -- mayoral polls in Nagoya, Saitama and Chiba and a gubernatorial race in Shizuoka Prefecture. Also on Sunday, DPJ defeated LDP in Nara mayoral election.

DPJ is determined to accomplish a change of power in Japanese politics after more than 50 years of nearly unbroken rule of LDP. Recent public opinion polls conducted by major media already showed much more people preferred DPJ to LDP as the ruling party.

The lower house must be dissolved by September for a general election.

(Xinhua News Agency July 13, 2009)