Japanese opposition chooses new leader

Tokyo, Oct 31 (IANS) Japan's main opposition Democratic Party on Tuesday picked lawmaker Kohei Otsuka to serve as its new leader, taking over from Seiji Maehara, who stepped down after the general election.

Party lawmakers from both chambers of Parliament met to choose Otsuka, 58, who ran unopposed, as no other candidates entered the leadership race, reports Xinhua news agency.

Otsuka, a former Bank of Japan official prior to winning his seat for the first time in 2001, has served three terms in the upper chamber and previously held the senior vice welfare minister portfolio.

The Democratic Party was effectively disbanded so that its lower house members could run in the election on Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike's Party of Hope ticket.

After the Party of Hope secured only 50 seats in the 465-seat lower house, despite fielding 235 candidates nationwide, Maehara penned his letter of resignation.

On Monday, the Democratic Party convened a meeting of its lawmakers serving in the upper house and independents who won in the election.

Otsuka now faces the task of re-establishing the Democratic Party as an opposition voice ahead of Wednesday's special Parliament session where Shinzo Abe will be officially re-elected the Prime Minister.

(This story has not been edited by Social News XYZ staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)