The three candidates who unsuccessfully challenged Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi for the presidency of the Liberal Democratic Party on Saturday urged him to listen to his detractors in the party, despite his landslide victory in the election.

"More than 160 Diet members voted (for candidates other than Koizumi,)" said former Transport Minister Takao Fujii, who won just 65 of the 657 votes cast.

"They are not all anti-Koizumi, but I'd like Prime Minister Koizumi to demonstrate leadership by taking that fact into consideration," he said.