Profile: Shinji Tarutoko, unknown lawmaker takes on political powerhouse in DPJ leadership race (2)

However, a great deal remains unknown about his current views on economic policy.

Tarutoko, however, is known as one of seven members of a group led by party elder Kozo Watanabe that has distanced itself from party heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa although he has close ties with pro- Ozawa lawmakers in the DPJ who are supporting his leadership bid.

Tarutoko has phoned groups within the DPJ including Cabinet ministers and Diet members who serve as aides to Ozawa, telling them that he intends to run in the vote to elect a new party leader as he has garnered sufficient support.

Tarutoko is a proponent of revising Japan's pacifist Article 9 of Japan's 1947 U.S.-drafted constitution, but maintains Japan should never consider arming itself with nuclear weapons.

Registration of candidates will start Friday morning, and a meeting of DPJ legislators in both houses of the Diet will be held from 11:00 a.m., with a vote taken after speeches by candidates. The party leader will be selected from the votes of 307 members of the House of Representatives and 116 members of the House of Councillors. The new leader's term will serve Hatoyama's remaining term that lasts until the end of September.

Source: Xinhua
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