The decade-old Democratic Party of Japan is facing what members describe as its biggest crises ever.

This time around, no fresh face wants to step forward to take the helm of the main opposition party, whose president has been reshuffled several times in recent years to find someone charismatic enough to vie with the popular Liberal Democratic Party leader, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

The latest self-destructive episode to befall the DPJ entailed efforts by party member Hisayasu Nagata, with the approval of DPJ President Seiji Maehara, to besmirch LDP Secretary General Tsutomu Takebe by trotting out an e-mail last month in the Diet that was allegedly an order last August by Livedoor Co. founder Takafumi Horie for staff to transfer 30 million yen to Takebe's son in the leadup to Horie's unsuccessful September election bid with Takebe's support.