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The House of Representatives on Wednesday elected Yukio Hatoyama as the new Prime Minister of Japan.
The 62-year-old Hatoyama was selected by both chambers of the Diet after his Democratic Party of Japan achieved a remarkable victory in the Aug 30 parliamentary elections defeating the Liberal Democratic Party. The party created a new chapter in Japan’s history dethroning the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) which had ruled Japan for more than 50 years.
Hatoyama faces a difficult road ahead as Japan seeks to emerge from its worst recession in the post-war era. Democratic Party was founded in 1998 by LDP defectors, social democrats and former union leaders.
DPJ secured a majority of 308 seats in the 480-member House of Representatives, the lower but more powerful chamber of the Diet, in last month's election. It had already won a majority with its coalition partners in the House of Councillors in 2007 elections.
Hatoyama's cabinet will include members of his coalition partners, the Social Democratic Party and the People's New Party.
Katsuya Okada is expected to be elected as secretary general of the DPJ.
