After some meanderings, the campaign for election of the next president of the Democratic Party of Japan officially started Wednesday, with Prime Minister Naoto Kan and former DPJ Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa vying for the post.
As Japan is facing serious problems in the economy and in other fields, and since the DPJ head becomes prime minister, the two politicians must clearly present their grand vision of the future of Japan, road maps toward that goal, and policy measures to solve the problems assailing the country in that process.
Mr. Kan and Mr. Ozawa held a meeting on Aug. 31 to avoid a head-on collision through the mediation of former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama. But the two failed to reach an agreement, which may have been better for them. Reaching an agreement in such a way would have been criticized for deal-making behind the scenes.