The ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Tuesday formally appointed Makoto Koga as its secretary general and Kanezo Muraoka as chairman of the Executive Council, while approving Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori's decision to retain Shizuka Kamei as policy affairs chief.

The appointments were made during the LDP's Executive Council meeting in the morning.

Speaking at a news conference later in the day, Koga emphasized the importance of solidarity within the party, which was recently shaken up by a failed rebellion by former Secretary General Koichi Kato and his longtime ally Taku Yamasaki, a former LDP policy affairs chief.

Kato and Yamasaki last month threatened to vote for an opposition-submitted no-confidence motion against Mori's Cabinet, although they later reneged on the threat.

Koga, despite being a member of the Kato faction, played a leading role in blocking Kato's attempt to topple the Cabinet.

"It is indeed true that there remains a gulf (among LDP members)," Koga said. "We must make restoring the solidarity of our party the top priority and we will carry out cautious management toward achieving that end."

Concerning the possible reform of the party, he said, "It is an important issue toward stabilizing the foundation of the (new) administration."

He urged all members of the LDP to awaken to the sense of mission and responsibility as statesmen shouldering the future of the nation.

Muraoka and Kamei, who were also at the news conference, stressed their determination to work with Koga to support the Mori Cabinet and create a better future for the nation.

It is widely believed that Koga's predecessor, Hiromu Nonaka, influenced Koga's appointment. It is well known that Koga and Nonaka have a close relationship despite the fact that they belong to different factions.

Starting his political career from scratch without the benefit of family connections, Koga, 60, is known for going to great lengths to achieve his goals.

Koga was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1980 from Fukuoka Prefecture. He served as the transport minister in the Cabinet of Ryutaro Hashimoto.

Muraoka, 69, is renown for his steady way of managing Diet and party affairs.

First elected to the Lower House in 1972, he served as the chief Cabinet secretary when his faction leader Hashimoto became prime minister in 1997.

It is usually said of Muraoka that he is best suited to a supporting role in politics. He has a number of friends in and outside politics who love his frank and unassuming manner.

Hailing from Akita Prefecture, Muraoka is known for his tenacious character. He is said to have learned how to overcome hardship while working to help his parents when their construction business was in dire straits.

Muraoka initially declined to accept the new party post mainly because he wanted to spend more time campaigning for his son, who is planning to run in the upcoming Akita gubernatorial election.

Reappointed as the party's policy chief, Kamei, 64, is now considered to have established his base within the LDP and is being dubbed a candidate for future prime minister. This, despite attracting criticism for his old-fashioned pork barrel style of politics.

The second son of a farming family in Hiroshima Prefecture, Kamei worked as a bureaucrat in the National Police Agency before entering politics in 1979.

He has served as the head of the transport and construction ministries.

In July 1999, Kamei formed a new party faction jointly led by Takami Eto, who has also headed the ministries.