The Liberal Democratic Party's own critics of Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto and his party leadership seem to be laying down their arms.

Former Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiroku Kajiyama, a key member of such hardline groups, relented March 16 and said he believes Hashimoto is the best man for the job under the current circumstances. His remark was made in Tokyo during a lecture to participants of the Yomiuri International Economic Society.

Former Construction Minister Shizuka Kamei, another vocal Hashimoto critic, said on the same day at a separate function that it is up to the prime minister to decide his own destiny. Kamei's remark came during a lecture to members of the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan and departs from demands he made earlier this month for Hashimoto to step down over the current state of the economy.

Additionally, Kamei proposed that the government implement a fresh 20 trillion yen worth of economic stimulus measures, including 5 trillion yen in tax cuts.

Kajiyama, Kamei and others who have antagonistic feelings toward the current LDP leadership, led by Secretary General Koichi Kato, have reportedly been discussing in vain the topic of replacing Hashimoto.

Although Kajiyama and Kamei still insist the Hashimoto administration should clearly and publicly make a shift in policy from fiscal austerity to economic stimulation, their attacks against Hashimoto and Kato seem to be weakening.

Kajiyama's group represents one of two forces squaring off within the LDP, which hopes to form a conservative union with the Liberal Party, which is headed by Ichiro Ozawa. The other, Kato's group, supports the LDP's current ruling alliance with the Social Democratic Party and New Party Sakigake.

Although infighting between the two groups intensified last fall, Kajiyama's group seems to have lost momentum recently due mainly to the lack of an appropriate candidate to replace Hashimoto, and the LDP's firm unity under Kato.