The Liberal Democratic Party on Friday expelled nine rebels who voted against Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's postal privatization bills.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>The nine rebels, who formed two new parties before the crucial Sept. 11 general election, had already submitted their resignations to the LDP. But the party refused to accept their resignations and saved their punishment for later.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>' –

defied the party policy by voting against the postal privatization bills and formed new parties to interfere with LDP candidates. Their act was in violation of party discipline," said Mayumi Moriyama, chairwoman of the 18-member Party Ethics Committee, which made the decision.

"They have submitted their resignations, but (the party) has kept them and deliberated on what to do (with them)," Moriyama said. "Having taken actions that conspicuously violated party discipline, it's appropriate to expel them and not just let them leave the party."

Of the nine breakaway members, four in the Lower House were re-elected, three failed, and two in Upper House joined new parties Kokumin Shinto and New Party Nippon.

The nine rebels include former Lower House Speaker Tamisuke Watanuki and former LDP policy affairs chief Shizuka Kamei, both of whom formed Kokumin Shinto and were re-elected.