The Democratic Party of Japan should hold a genuine presidential election next month in order to enliven policy debate, former DPJ President Seiji Maehara, who quit his post over a political blunder two years ago, said Wednesday.

"I think (the current situation) is the closest in this past decade our party has come to (winning control of) the government," Maehara said Wednesday at The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo.

Because the new party boss will be expected to lead the party during the next general election, the DPJ presidential race — campaigning for which starts Sept. 8 — will be a key event, he said.