Japan’s largest opposition party, the Democratic Progressive Party, held an extraordinary general meeting in Tokyo on the 15th to elect its leader. Finally, acting leader Renfang was elected as the new leader, with his term ending in September 2019. This is the first time that a woman has been elected as the leader of the Democratic Progressive Party and its predecessor, the Democratic Party.

The three candidates participating in the Democratic Progressive Party leader election are acting party leader Renfang, former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, and Congress Vice Chairman for Countermeasures Yuichiro Tamaki. According to regulations, a candidate can be elected as the new party leader if he obtains more than half of the support.

After the party's first choice battle began, Lianfang received widespread support from various factions within the party and grassroots party members, leading the election. In the first round of voting on the 15th, Lian Fang received more than half of the support and was directly elected as the new party leader.

Lianfang is 48 years old. His father is from Taiwan Province of China and his mother is Japanese. She is fluent in Chinese and was originally a TV host. In 2004, Lian Fang was elected to the Senate for the first time and entered the political arena. During the administration of the former Democratic Party, she served as a special minister in the Cabinet Office and vigorously promoted the reform of the administrative system, which made her famous. On the issue of historical understanding, she acknowledged the history of aggression and called on Japanese society to strengthen historical education.

After being elected, Lianfang vowed to "build the DPP into a political party that allows people to trust their government with confidence." Japanese media analysis pointed out that Renfang's top priority is to revive the sluggish Democratic Progressive Party and make it a force capable of competing with the Liberal Democratic Party.

The Democratic Progressive Party is the largest opposition party in Japan. It was established in March 2016 by the merger of its predecessor, the Democratic Party and the Reform Party. When the DPP was established, it decided to hold a party leader election in September this year. Since its predecessor, the Democratic Party, stepped down from power in 2012, it has been unable to regain the trust of the Japanese people. Its momentum has been sluggish in previous general elections in recent years and it has been difficult to turn around, leaving the Japanese political arena with a one-party dominance of the Liberal Democratic Party.