TOKYO, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Campaigning for Japan's main opposition Democratic Party leadership began Monday as the party seeks to bolster itself amid concerns that an exodus of members recently may further weaken the party's standing.
Former foreign minister, Seiji Maehara, 55, and former chief Cabinet secretary, Yukio Edano, 53, both filed their candidacies on Monday for the party's top post.
The race for the party's leadership post follows current leader Renho suddenly announcing her intention to resign to account for the party's poor standing in local and national politics after being in the post for less than a year.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) headed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been beset with scandals and gaffes, some of which have implicated Abe himself, others of which saw his former defense minister step down.
But the Democratic Party failed to capitalize on the LDP's plunging public support rate and suffered a heavy defeat in last month's Tokyo metropolitan assembly election.
This acted as a catalyst for a number of Democratic Party lawmakers to leave en masse and for Renho to announce her resignation to account for the party's recent woeful performances.
Renho's successor will be decided at a presidential election to be held on Sept. 1.
Ballots are expected to be cast by around 140 Democratic Party lawmakers and more than 120 potential candidates from the party for national elections, at an extraordinary convention to be held on Sept. 1.
In addition, votes will be cast by in excess of 1,500 members of local assemblies and some 228,000 party members and supporters, with votes being cast and counted on the same day.
The Democratic Party's two front runners are both political veterans and held important portfolios when the party was in power in the three years prior to being ousted by the LDP in 2012.
