TOKYO, Aug. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has decided to dissolve the lower house immediately after the postal reform bills advocated by him failed to clear the upper house on Monday.

    Koizumi formally made the decision following a Cabinet meeting after the voting.

    The premier said he intended to have the general elections heldon Sept. 11. The upper house is not subject to dissolution.

    The bills were voted down in the upper house 125 against 108 as Koizumi's drive had divided his ruling Liberal Democratic Party so heavily that many party members joined the opposition parties to stop the passage of the legislation.

    A combined 30 LDP upper house members voted against postal bills or abstained, well exceeding the 18 needed to kill the bills.

    During a Cabinet meeting held to endorse the decision, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Yoshinobu Shimamura expressed his objection to it and tendered his resignation.

    The pervious general election was held in November, 2003. Enditem