Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Saturday flatly rejected a plea from his predecessor Yoshiro Mori to avert a snap election even if his postal privatization bills are voted down in the House of Councilors.
"I gave up," Mori told reporters after meeting with Koizumi in the evening. He strongly criticized the prime minister for refusing to listen to his advice.
During the day, Koizumi strongly suggested he would dissolve the House of Representatives if the postal bills are rejected by the Upper House in a vote Monday.