OSAKA — Kunio Hiramatsu, backed by the Democratic Party of Japan, was poised Sunday night to defeat incumbent Junichi Seki in Osaka's mayoral election, according to a Kyodo News projection.
A victory by Hiramatsu would provide a boost to the key opposition party in national politics after the debacle triggered by leader Ichiro Ozawa's abrupt — and later withdrawn — announcement to step down earlier this month.
Ozawa had faced opposition from DPJ executives over possible formation of a grand coalition with the governing LDP.