Reports in Japan say Ichiro Ozawa, who leads the biggest faction despite the suspension of his party membership over a politicalfundingscandal, is unlikely to support the former foreign minister.
The former chancellor is at the centre of a politicalfundingscandal that has already claimed a number of casualties in the opposition Christian Democratic Union, including his successor as party leader, Wolfgang Schaeuble.
If the challenger does pull off a victory in the vote on September 14th and he may he would take over the DPJ a mere three months after he had been forced to step down as secretary-general under the cloud of a political-funding scandal.