The newly expanded Democratic Party of Japan was officially launched Monday afternoon with 131 Diet members, making it the largest opposition force.
The new DPJ, which was formed by an amalgamation of four parties -- the original DPJ, Minseito (Good Governance Party), Shinto Yuai (Amity Party) and the Democratic Reform Party -- held a convention in a Tokyo hotel where four party leaders signed an agreement on the merger.
The party has 93 House of Representatives members and 38 House of Councilors members. It is roughly one-third the size of the Liberal Democratic Party, which has 379 Diet members. The convention also approved the new party executive lineup. Naoto Kan, leader of the former DPJ, will serve as president of the new party, while Minseito head Tsutomu Hata will assume the No. 2 post of secretary general.