INSTANT VIEW: Japan PM Aso seeks Aug 30 election - party

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's embattled Prime Minister Taro Aso is expected to call a general election for August 30, a ruling party official told reporters on Monday, despite opposition from his own party and coalition partner.

Japan LDP secretary-general Hiroyuki Hosoda said a preliminary decision had been made to hold an election on that date.

Talk of an election, due by October, or the possible replacement of Aso escalated after the ruling bloc suffered a big defeat in a Tokyo election on Sunday.

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KEY POINTS:

-- A win for the opposition Democratic Party (DPJ) in a lower house vote would end a half-century of nearly unbroken rule by the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and resolve a deadlock in a divided parliament as Japan tries to recover from recession.

-- Japan's main opposition party leads the LDP in newspaper polls. For a graphic tracking the polls click: here

COMMENTARY:

GERRY CURTIS, POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR, COLUMBIA