The head of New Komeito has decided not to run in the party presidential election in October and will step down from his post, party sources said Saturday.
Takenori Kanzaki, 62, has served as party chief since 1998.
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, his ruling coalition partner, is withdrawing when his term as the Liberal Democratic Party president expires in September. Kanzaki thus needs to jump-start his party prior to the House of Councilors election in summer next year, analysts said.
The party's secretary general, Tetsuzo Fuyushiba, is also expected to step down, the sources said, as Soka Gakkai, Japan's largest lay Buddhist organization and the party's power base, has increasingly called for a reshuffling of the leadership before the crucial upcoming national elections.
Akihiro Ota, acting secretary general of New Komeito, and Kazuo Kitagawa, minister of land, infrastructure and transport, are considered the major candidates to replace Kanzaki.
It is also possible that the acting party president, Toshiko Hamayotsu, will be picked to attract voters, the sources added.
Some party members have said they want Kanzaki to hang on for another term, according to the sources.
New Komeito joined the ruling bloc in 1999 under Kanzaki's leadership, but the LDP's landslide victory in last year's House of Representatives election has weakened its clout in the coalition.
While sticking with the coalition government, New Komeito is aiming at gaining more supporters before the Upper House election and nationwide local elections, which will be also held next year.
