Democratic Party chief Katsuya Okada said Saturday he will not run in his organization's leadership race in September, saying the main opposition party needs a fresh face if it wants to take on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration.
"I have a sense of achievement. Although we were defeated in the Upper House election, we were able to bear fruit," Okada told a news conference at the party's headquarters in Tokyo, referring to the election tieup with other opposition parties as well as the merger with Ishin no To in March.
"We need to take a break and put on a fresh face," Okada said. "That's what's best for the party and for gaining the political momentum needed to knock the government from power."