Maehara gives up choice of Yamao as DP secretary-general

September 5, 2017

TOKYO- The Democratic Party's new leader, Seiji Maehara, has given up on his plan to appoint former DP policy chief Shiori Yamao, 43, as its secretary-general, in the face of objections from within the main Japanese opposition party, informed sources said Tuesday.

Maehara, who was elected DP president on Friday, instead will likely assign Atsushi Oshima, 60, former state minister for internal affairs and communications, to the party's No. 2 post, the sources said.

The DP is set to hold a meeting of the party's lawmakers in both chambers of the Diet, the country's parliament, on Tuesday afternoon to approve its new leadership team.

Maehara initially aimed to demonstrate his resolve to renovate the DP by selecting Yamao, a young female debater, for the key party post. Jiji Press