Hiromu Nonaka, secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, on Wednesday appeared to be distancing the LDP from the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, which the ruling party fought hard to defeat.

"I don't think that the voting down of the motion means Mr. Mori, the prime minister, has gained trust," Nonaka told a gathering of the party's largest faction.

"I wonder if we can just pass the baton of politics to the 21st century while leaving this confusion?" he asked, before adding that "the LDP must make greater efforts and decisions" to win Upper House polls next summer.

He also urged Mori and his Cabinet to remain "solemn and humble." But exactly where Nonaka was going with these comments appears to be open to interpretation.

A senior member of the faction, led by former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, later said Nonaka's remarks "represent the faction's view." Nonaka is also a member of the faction.

Another member said the address was merely a "pep talk," an attempt to spur Mori on to greater efforts. Others speculated Nonaka's words were an indication that already there is a move afoot to replace Mori, but senior coalition officials denied this.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said that Mori's surviving the motion indicates the prime minister has won trust and that Nonaka's comments will have no effect on political stability.

He then back tracked -- but just a bit. "The fact," Fukuda said, "that there were a number of LDP members who abstained from voting shows that something must be done (to improve the current administration)."

Takenori Kanzaki, leader of coalition partner New Komeito, seemed to back the Mori Cabinet. "Generally speaking," he said, "I think the Mori Cabinet gained confidence through the vote's result."