By Channel NewsAsia's Japan Bureau Chief Michiyo Ishida
Posted: 19 May 2009 2301 hrs
TOKYO: The new leader of Japan's largest opposition party, the Democratic Party, has appointed his predecessor to a key party post.
The DPJ has enjoyed a bounce in the polls since Yukio Hatoyama's election over the weekend, but a decision to put disgraced former leader Ichiro Ozawa in charge of elections may make his popularity a shortlived one.
Yukio Hatoyama, President of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), said: "Naturally, we'll achieve a change of government. In order to achieve a change of government we need to at least win more than one seat from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)."
Until the presidential election on Saturday, it was not Mr Hatoyama but rather Katsuya Okada who was widely expected to take over the presidency from Ichiro Ozawa, as Mr Okada was more popular among the public.
So why did Mr Hatoyama win the post?
Toshio Nagahisa, Member of the Board Director, PHP Research Institute, said: "Basically DPJ was founded by Hatoyama and other people. He is the original member. He gets others to join in DPJ. He has history and networks in DPJ."
After the Democrats presidential election, major daily Mainichi Newspaper conducted a public opinion poll. And the result - support for the Democrats rose by 11 points to 56 per cent, while support for the ruling LDP was only 29 per cent. And more people prefer Mr Hatoyama as prime minister than Taro Aso.
Other media polls reported similar results.
Mr Nagahisa said: "I think public opinion poll was conducted before Hatoyama appointed Ozawa as the acting leader in charge of election. People may see it as disappointing. So I think DPJ may not maintain this popularity."
Mr Nagahisa describes the Hatoyama-Ozawa relationship as similar to that between former Russian president, now Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, and current president Dmitry Medvedev.
Mr Hatoyama will hold his first debate with Prime Minister Aso next Wednesday. The ruling party expects to grill him on the Ozawa scandal.
- CNA/yt
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