Yukio Hatoyama, the new president of the Democratic Party of Japan, said Sunday he will appoint DPJ Vice President Katsuya Okada as secretary general and former leader Ichiro Ozawa as "acting" president in charge of election strategy.
Hatoyama was the DPJ's secretary general before defeating Okada in the party's presidential election Saturday.
Naoto Kan and Azuma Koshiishi, two other "acting" presidents — a title for what are effectively deputy chiefs — will remain in their posts, Hatoyama said.
Before he made the announcement, Hatoyama met separately with Ozawa, Kan and Okada to see if they would accept the posts.
Hatoyama promised that the party's new leadership will knock the Liberal Democratic Party out of power.
A senior DPJ Diet member described the new leadership, which is to be approved at a general meeting of DPJ lawmakers on Monday, as an "expanded troika."
"Mr. Okada put up a good fight in the presidential election," Hatoyama said. "It is important to secure party unity because many DPJ supporters nationwide and lawmakers favor Mr. Okada.
"Mr. Ozawa has won one election after another to enhance the basis of the DPJ," Hatoyama added. "I expect him to continue assuming the role in overseeing elections."