Following a close runoff against the younger Goshi Hosono after a weeklong campaign, Katsuya Okada was elected president of the Democratic Party of Japan on Sunday.

Okada, 61, headed the party between 2004 and 2005 and served as secretary-general several times. But questions remain over whether the veteran can pull the largest opposition force together and regain the public's trust.

Okada, backed by the DPJ's "mainstream" members, defeated Hosono 133 to 120 in the runoff, which was based on the votes of Diet members and one candidate running for the next Upper House election. The runoff was held immediately after it was determined none of the three had garnered 50 percent or more of the votes in the first poll.