Four conservative groups within the Liberal Democratic Party agreed at a meeting on Friday to merge by Dec. 14 and to support Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi's initiative to form a coalition government with the Liberal Party.
Former Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiroku Kajiyama, who heads one of the groups, called on the participants to support the Obuchi administration, saying that forming a coalition government with the Liberal Party is the best way to alleviate the party's weak political base.
Members of the groups, including former Construction Minister Shizuka Kamei and former Foreign Minister Yohei Kono, were considered to have been opponents of LDP executives -- such as Koichi Kato and Taku Yamasaki -- during the administration of former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto. The rift in the party looks set to worsen.