Representative of the Democratic Party for the People Yuichiro Tamaki attends the party leaders debate in Tokyo on June 21, 2022. (POOL / AFP)

TOKYO - Japan's opposition Democratic Party for the People (DPP) has re-elected its incumbent head Yuichiro Tamaki as the leader.

Tamaki, securing a decisive victory over the party's acting chief Seiji Maehara, was re-elected as the party's leader for a new three-year term in the leadership election on Saturday.

Tamaki, 54, whose term is until the end of September 2026, scooped up 80 points, more than the majority necessary to win out of the 111 points allocated to the voters, while Maehara garnered 31 points.

In his victory speech, Yuichiro Tamaki expressed his commitment to hear the opinions of different relevant parties for improvements in terms of issues exposed during the leadership election, in preparation for the upcoming general elections

In his victory speech, Tamaki expressed his commitment to hear the opinions of different relevant parties for improvements in terms of issues exposed during the leadership election, in preparation for the upcoming general elections.

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According to local media outlets, the five-term House of Representatives member also said he has no plans to become a Cabinet member, alluding to the potential reshuffle.

Analysts here pointed out that the election revealed a sharpening of ideological differences within the party, and that its future development will now be closely watched in Japan's political landscape.

In September 2020, Japan's largest opposition party emerged following a merger of the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) and the then DPP. The party retained the name of CDP.

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However, over 10 members of the Japanese parliament, including Tamaki, chose not to join the CDP and instead established the new DPP. In December of the same year, Tamaki was elected as the leader of this newly formed party.