The free-for-all following the breakup of Shinshinto appeared to be giving way Monday to five new parties.

Members of what was the largest opposition party were regrouping fast to fill in the missing pieces of the political jigsaw puzzle.

More than 30 of the 45 Lower House members of Shinshinto who once belonged to the now-defunct Komeito, which was supported by Japan's largest Buddhist lay organization, Soka Gakkai, will form a new party, it was decided Monday. About 20 Shinshinto members who once belonged to the now-defunct Democratic Socialist Party meanwhile announced they are forming Shinto Yuai, or New Party Fraternity.

The other three parties expected to emerge include one made up of lawmakers loyal to Shinshinto head Ichiro Ozawa, one composed of supporters of his rival, Michihiko Kano, and a party to be set up by Upper House members who belonged to the former Komeito.

The new political groupings largely mirror the old and ideologically diverse forces that banded together in December 1994 as a challenge to the dominant LDP. Because the political situation is now so fluid, more parties may be formed by Shinshinto members, sources said.

Ozawa on Monday reiterated his hope to assume power with the creation of his new party, which will be launched Jan. 6. About 80 lawmakers are expected to join. Ozawa's followers include several Diet members who were affiliated with the former DSP and Komeito and who are not rejoining their former allies.

At a news conference at a Tokyo hotel, Ozawa said his new party will be a "fighting policy group" with a basic platform calling for halving income and residential taxes, increasing the consumption tax to cover rising social welfare costs, fundamentally reforming the education system, reducing the number of government ministries to 10 and cutting the number of Diet members to 400 in the Lower House and 200 in the Upper House.

Calling for active participation by Japan in U.N. peacekeeping activities, Ozawa said, "Japan, which relies on the international community for its security, should make efforts to contribute to maintaining peace and order in the international community as much as possible." His security policy, which if implemented may run counter to the constitutional ban on the use of force to resolve international conflicts, is a stance many Shinshinto members could not accept.

Ozawa declined to specify how he will assume power, but endorsed cooperating with other parties, both ruling and opposition forces, if their basic policies are in sync. He also said his new party will have a shadow Cabinet, which will have decision-making power over the party's policies and will be responsible for party management, he added.

Ozawa, who was re-elected to a two-year term as Shinshinto president on Dec. 18, triggered the turmoil Saturday by disbanding the party, which he helped found three years ago.

Kano told a news conference that he and 12 other Shinshinto members will launch the Kokumin no Koe (Voice of People) party on Jan. 7. The party will start off with 20 members and announce its policy platform on the same day, said Kano, former chief of the Management and Coordination Agency and Ozawa's opponent in the Shinshinto presidential race.

Kano slammed Ozawa's high-handed action to dissolve Shinshinto, a public entity funded partly by state subsidies, adding that his new party will pursue Shinshinto's original goal. "We are determined to play a key role in uniting opposition forces to take power from the Liberal Democratic Party," Kano told reporters.