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New national party launched in Osaka, splitting Japan's second largest opposition party

Xinhua, October 31, 2015 Adjust font size:

Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto on Saturday launched a new political party with 19 Diet members previously belonging to the Japan Innovation Party.

The Japan Innovation Party was the second largest opposition party in Japan before the establishment of the new political party.

Over 200 people joined a convention on Saturday to establish the new party "Osaka Ishin no Kai" by pronunciation. The members include local legislators from about 20 municipalities.

The new party,whose official English name has yet to be announced, will strive to reform the governing system and revitalize regional economies by promoting decentralization. It also called for promoting Osaka as Japan's sub-capital.

Hashimoto will serve as the party chief until his term as Osaka mayor expires in December. Osaka Governor Ichiro Matsui will serve as the party's secretary general.

Hashimoto, who served as prefectural governor of Osaka from 2008 and became mayor in 2011, has been pushing for a plan to create a metropolitan Osaka government like Tokyo and to eliminate the duplication of administration between the Osaka city and the Osaka prefectural offices.

He announced that he would retire from political life after the Osaka Metropolis Plan failed referendum this May. Endit