Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was the target of criticism at a meeting of lawmakers who had previously wasted no time in lambasting his postal privatization plan.

But at the Monday meeting, these Liberal Democratic Party members refrained from ripping apart the privatization plan. Instead, they reserved their criticism for the prime minister's headstrong attitude toward the issue.

``This meeting is not about protesting the postal privatization plan,'' Tamisuke Watanuki, an LDP lawmaker known for his anti-privatization stand, said. ``Rather, I am deeply concerned about parliamentary democracy being put at risk.''

Although Koizumi is still taking heat, postal privatization now seems to be going ahead as the government and LDP lawmakers are moving closer to a compromise.

The two sides still have many points to work out, but they do agree there is a potentially more destructive force waiting to pounce: Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan).

An all-out battle between the government and the LDP over the postal plan could give the main opposition party room to attack during the current Diet session.

Koizumi this week appeared willing to make some concessions on the contents of the privatization bills to ensure they are passed.

He told reporters Tuesday he does not plan to persist on sticking to the government's target of submitting the bills in mid-March, giving him room to maneuver until June, when the Diet session is scheduled to close.

``It is my responsibility to legislate (privatization bills) during the current Diet session,'' he told reporters Wednesday. ``To let them be carried over to the next Diet session for continued discussions would be the same as scrapping the bills. Scrapping them would mean no confidence in my administration.''

The government has also indicated it would maintain uniform services around the country for postal savings and insurance, a system that the LDP has strongly requested.

Some government and LDP officials are now praising themselves over how things have proceeded so far without a heated confrontation.

The anti-reformers in the LDP seem more inclined to have their voices heard in the privatization plan, rather than vehemently oppose it.

During the meeting Monday, LDP members said they hope Koizumi will build a consensus in the same way as his predecessors did.

The speaker at the meeting was Ryuzo Sejima, who once served on the Ad Hoc Commission on Administrative Reform, an advisory panel to the prime minister.

Sejima recounted the past privatization processes of Japanese National Railways and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corp. in the 1980s.

``Lawmakers initially opposed to the plans later agreed because the details were explained to LDP members to gain their understanding,'' Sejima said. ``The important thing is procedure.''

Yoshihisa Inoue, who heads the policy research council of the junior coalition partner New Komeito, also said unity in the privatization issue is needed to avoid setbacks during Diet debate.

``Unless a firm consensus is built within the government-between the prime minister's office, communications ministry and Japan Post-our efforts to steer the Diet sessions would become very difficult,'' Inoue said at a meeting with government officials Monday.

He warned that Minshuto would jump on any government inconsistencies over the privatization plan during the Diet session.

New Komeito officials say it is crucial for the government and ruling parties to come together and thoroughly discuss plans to split Japan Post into four entities in April 2007 in preparation for full privatization.

A senior LDP official summed up the current attitude: ``We must work together on this with the same final goal in mind.''(IHT/Asahi: February 11,2005)