An aftereffect of the legislative battle over postal service privatization a year ago now vexes the Liberal Democratic Party leadership. It is how to treat Diet members who rebelled against the party by voting against the privatization bills.

Of about 60 Lower and Upper house LDP members who cast "no" votes, nearly 40 were told to leave the party. Even though many of these rebels are no longer party members, some of them still possess political resources that the party leadership would like to tap in next year's Upper House election. The problem the LDP leadership faces is how to smoothly bring them back into the party's fold.

Thirteen of the rebels were re-elected to the Lower House in the Sept. 11, 2005, general elections. They, as well as some rebels who were unsuccessful in the elections, still maintain strong election machines that can influence the voting behavior of many local residents.