TOKYO, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Komeito party, a former longtime ruling coalition junior partner, selected Mitsunari Okamoto as its new leader on Saturday as it prepares for an extraordinary Diet session starting next week, local media reported.
Following approval at the party convention, Okamoto, 61, a House of Representatives lawmaker, replaced Toshiko Takeya, a senator who had led the party since January after Komeito's lower house lawmakers joined the opposition Centrist Reform Alliance, which later split in September, according to Kyodo News. ■
