BOJ's Shirakawa declines comment on Democrat plans

(For more stories on the Japanese economy click [ID:nECONJP])

OSAKA, Japan Aug 31 (Reuters) - Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa said on Monday he would keep in close contact with the government, though he declined to comment on the possible impact on the economy of the policies of the Democratic Party of Japan, which won a national election at the weekend.

"I hope that the new government will implement appropriate policies to overcome the various challenges Japan is facing," Shirakawa told a news conference.

Japanese voters swept the Democratic Party to a historic victory in Sunday's election, ousting the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party and breaking a deadlock in parliament. [ID:nPOLJP] (Reporting by Hideyuki Sano)