TOKYO - Japan's former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda was elected the new leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) on Monday, beating the other three candidates including lawmaker Yukio Edano who founded the party.
As none of the contenders secured a majority of votes in the first round, the race went into a run-off between Noda and Edano, with the former winning the final contest.
ALSO READ: Japan's main opposition party leadership race kicks off
Noda, 67, served as Japan's prime minister from 2011 to 2012 under the now-defunct Democratic Party.
In a speech before the final round of voting, Noda outlined his vision of expanding essential public services, such as education, healthcare, elderly care and disability support, while stressing the importance of restoring public trust in politics.
READ MORE: Japan’s main opposition CDP picks new leader
The race came ahead of the leadership election of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Sept 27, and the CDPJ was gearing up efforts to secure more seats in a possible general election as it seeks to challenge the long-dominant LDP.