Several ruling coalition politicians and Cabinet ministers remained at odds Monday over whether to split Japan Post into four firms in 2007, the first year of the planned 10-year privatization process, officials said.
Participants at the morning talks also remained at loggerheads over a proposal to get the entire Cabinet of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to endorse the outline of the privatization plan at a meeting Friday, the officials said.
The participants included Shinzo Abe and Tetsuzo Fuyushiba; the secretaries general of the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito; Heizo Takenaka, economy and fiscal policy minister; Hiroyuki Hosoda, chief Cabinet secretary; and posts minister Taro Aso.