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He was appointed as the new leader on November 9th, succeeding Ishii Keiichi, who resigned from his position after losing the recent House of Representatives election. In addition to analysing the reasons for the party's defeat in the House of Representatives election, he spoke about the party's future, the direction of the new system, and the party's position on policy issues such as political reform. Some have said that his appointment marks a step backwards in the transition to a new generation. Saito Tetsuo stated, "My role is to pass the baton to the younger generation," and indicated his intention to win next summer's Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election and House of Councillors election, clarify the direction of the party's revival, and then transition to a new generation as soon as possible. Moderator: Yamashita Takeshi, Planning Committee Member, Japan National Press Club (NHK)