Komeito selects former party policy chief Okamoto as new leader

Tokyo – Opposition party Komeito decided Wednesday to appoint former party policy chief Mitsunari Okamoto as its new leader.

Okamoto, 61, will assume the post at a party convention on Saturday, in line with the expiration of the term of the current leader, Toshiko Takeya, 57.

Last week, House of Representatives lawmakers who had transferred from Komeito to the Centrist Reform Alliance returned to Komeito after the CRA decided to disband.

Komeito is rushing to rebuild its organization ahead of an extraordinary Diet session beginning next week and unified local elections set for next spring.

Okamoto told members of the media, “I will make all-out efforts to create a new party.”

On the possibility of Komeito collaborating with other parties, he said that his party aims to cooperate with lawmakers who share its values in policy planning, including members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Still, he denied the possibility of Komeito returning to the LDP-led coalition government.