Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi expressed his strong determination Friday to clear all four bills on postal services deregulation in the current Diet session, braving fierce opposition from both the ruling and opposition blocs.
During a news conference marking the first anniversary of his taking office, Koizumi stressed he will not yield to pressure from his Liberal Democratic Party to separately pass the four bills.
Some LDP members want to enact only two bills mandating the establishment of a new public corporation that would take over the state-run postal services, leaving until the next Diet session -- to be convened in autumn -- to take up the remaining two, which would allow private firms to offer mail services.