Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi on Tuesday morning expressed his intention to maintain the current framework of the tripartite coalition and realize policy goals set by the three ruling parties.

"We must obtain a national consensus on policies like national security . . . By making efforts to gain people's understanding, I would like to expand the role of the ruling coalition," Obuchi told reporters.

The prime minister's remarks came a day after Liberal Party leader Ichiro Ozawa suggested he might withdraw his party from its 14-month alliance with the Liberal Democratic Party. New Komeito is the third coalition member.

On Monday, Ozawa told party officials that he will listen to their opinions about the party's future before a meeting scheduled for this afternoon, during which he does not plan to make any announcements of his intentions.

Ozawa has been apparently considering his party's withdrawal from the alliance because many of the party's trademark policy goals, such as national security and tax reforms, remain unrealized. Working-level electoral cooperation talks with the LDP also broke down last week.

Political sources said earlier that Ozawa hopes to meet with Obuchi before today's party gathering to deliver an "ultimatum" over the possible departure of his 51-member party from the coalition.

However, a senior LDP official said Tuesday night that there would be no meeting between the two party leaders today.

LDP Secretary General Yoshiro Mori, Deputy Secretary General Hiromu Nonaka, policy chief Shizuka Kamei, Masakuni Murakami, head of the LDP's Upper House group, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Mikio Aoki met Tuesday evening to discuss the matter, the official said.

None of the participants made any specific proposal to keep the Liberal Party within the alliance and they agreed to wait for Ozawa to act, he added.

Some Liberal Party members fear they could suffer big losses in the Lower House elections later this year if the party campaigns as part of the ruling coalition. The coalition's approval ratings have been declining in recent polls.

Young members of the party, however, seem reluctant to leave the alliance and there is speculation the party may eventually split if Ozawa forces the issue. It is not clear whether Ozawa will be able to forge a consensus during today's party meeting.