ニュース 2012/12/17 New DPJ President to be elected on December 22 On the morning of December 17, the incumbent DPJ President Yoshihiko Noda, Secretary General Azuma Koshiishi, Acting Secretary General Jun Azumi, and Policy Research Committee Chair Goshi Hosono held a meeting at party headquarters in order to discuss the process of electing a new DPJ President after President Noda announced his intention to resign. They confirmed that preparations for the DPJ presidential election would proceed according to the following schedule: On December 19, the Central Presidential Election Committee will outline election procedure; on the same day, members of both houses of parliament will meet to approve the resignation of President Noda and the schedule of the election; finally, the party will announce a presidential election on the morning of Saturday, December 22, and will hold the election of the new DPJ President at another meeting of members of both houses in the afternoon. Following his attendance at the meeting to discuss the presidential election process, Acting Secretary General Azumi explained the content of the discussions to the press.