The 11 postal reform rebels Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is welcoming back into the ruling Liberal Democratic Party spoke Tuesday about why they voted against the legislation and then reversed themselves.

They were among 37 LDP members who last year helped vote down the reform bill during Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's term, leading him to call a snap election for Sept. 11, 2005, and eject them from party.

The lawmakers, now independents, claimed they never really opposed privatizing Japan Post.