Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi formally appointed his 22 senior vice ministers Tuesday, giving more consideration to factions than he did with his Cabinet picks.

Among the 18 senior vice ministers who belong to his Liberal Democratic Party, five are members of the largest faction, which is led by former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto.

The third- and fourth-largest factions, cofounded by former LDP policy chief Shizuka Kamei and former trade minister Mitsuo Horiuchi, respectively, got four posts each.

The three factions had composed the mainstream of the LDP until Koizumi's triumph in last week's LDP presidential election. Each managed to place only one Cabinet minister in the new administration.

"(The administration) needs cooperation from the party," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said the same day.

told a news conference the same day. "We cannot ignore (the faction leaders) entirely."