TOKYO - A heavyweight of Japan's ruling party denied being sexist yesterday after blaming United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's leadership for the surprise failure of a Wall Street bailout.

Mr Takashi Sasagawa, who chairs the Liberal Democratic Party's decision-making general affairs council, came under fire after he was quoted as suggesting to reporters that Ms Pelosi would have acted differently had she been a man.

Republicans and Democrats struck a deal to pass the rescue Bill but the House of Representatives voted it down on Monday, sending shockwaves through global markets.

'I just said it was because the House Speaker handled things poorly,' Mr Sasagawa, a 72-year-old veteran lawmaker, said in a bid to explain his controversial remarks.

He said he had added that she was a woman because many newspaper reporters were not well-acquainted with US politics.

He accused the Japanese media of twisting his remarks.'I never said she couldn't put things together because she is a woman,' he said.

Japanese media reported that he had told reporters Ms Pelosi's way of running the House was 'a bit different from men's'. 'That's why it came to a rupture,' he reportedly said.