Okada chosen as new DPJ head

Okada Katsuya, secretary general of the Democratic Party of Japan, on May 18 was chosen uncontested as the party's new president to fill the vacancy left by Kan Naoto who resigned to take responsibility for his past failure to pay pension premiums.

Okada named Fujii Hirohisa as new DPJ secretary general.

On May 14, Ozawa Ichiro accepted Okada's request to replace Kan as DPJ leader. However, three days later, Ozawa announced that he would not run for the position on the grounds that he did not sign up for the national pension program, although it was optional for Dietmembers to do so.

At a press conference in the Diet building, Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi said, "The JCP has sincerely cooperated with other opposition parties when there is a common ground among us, while discussing differences with them. We will stick to this position."

Asked to comment on Okada's statement that the DPJ will seek to block a bill to revise the pension system, Ichida said, "We are willing to cooperate with the DPJ if it agrees to strive with us to foil the bill." (end)