Japan's Largest Opposition Bloc Seeks New Leader
A leadership race is underway among Japan's opposition ranks. Two of the largest opposition parties are set to merge next week, when a lawmaker from one of the two groups is named its head.
Nearly 150 members of the Diet have registered to join the new political party, including more than 100 in the Lower House. This means it will have nearly as many Lower House seats as its precursor, the Democratic Party of Japan, just before the party took power 11 years ago.
Constitutional Democratic Party leader Edano Yukio says he'll run for the leadership of the new party.
He served as the top government spokesperson when the Democrat-run administration tackled the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis.
Edano established the Constitutional Democratic Party three years ago when the old Democratic Party split.
The second candidate is Izumi Kenta, the policy chief of the Democratic Party For the People.
He says that division among opposition lawmakers has allowed the ruling block to maintain power for too long.
The vote to choose the leader will take place on Thursday, with the outcome to be announced that day.
