Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Sunday attributed an apparent setback for the dominant Liberal Democratic Party  (LDP) in the House of Councillors election to dissatisfaction by some voters with his measures related to pension reforms and the Iraq affairs.

During a television interview, the premier also said he will not dissolve the House of Representatives to call a general election in the near future.

He indicated to stay on as LDP president and prime minister, saying he will be able to promote reforms if the ruling bloc retains a majority in both houses of the parliament.

On Sunday's election, Koizumi's LDP has so far won 46 seats, still two fewer than the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), which has gained 48 seats, according to Asahi television's news channel.

The LDP is unlikely to attain its target of retaining the 51 seats it had until early April. It has 50 seats up for reelection, Asahi reported.

Of the 121 seats at stake in the 20th upper house election, 48 will be assigned to winning candidates on parties' proportional representation lists and 73 to the 47 prefectural constituencies.

The number of upper house seats will be trimmed by five after the election to 242. Half the chamber's seats are contested every three years, with each lawmaker serving a six-year term.

Source: Xinhua