Former senior members of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party members who voted against postal privatization bills advocated by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi announced the formation of a new political party Wednesday in preparation for the Sept. 11 House of Representatives election.

The Kokumin Shinto party, headed by former lower house speaker Tamisuke Watanuki, includes former LDP members Shizuka Kamei, Hisaoki Kamei, and House of Councilors member Kensei Hasegawa. They left the LDP earlier in the day.

Hideaki Tamura, who left the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan earlier in the day, also joined the party.

The party was formed partly because they are disadvantaged in campaigning during the upcoming election since Koizumi has decided not to approve those who voted against the bills to privatize Japan Post as LDP candidates in the election.

Koizumi dissolved the lower house Aug. 8 for a general election after the bills to privatize Japan Post were voted down in the upper house with a larger-than-expected number of LDP members casting negative votes.

When the bills cleared the lower chamber by a narrow margin of five votes last month, 37 LDP members, including Watanuki and the Kameis, joined the opposition camp in voting against them and 14 others abstained from voting.

Source: Xinhua