Kan leads Ozawa in DPJ opinion poll

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan (R, front) of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and his rival, the party's former No. 2 Ichiro Ozawa (L, front) wave during their joint election campaign for the DPJ presidency in Tokyo, capital of Japan, September 4, 2010. Naoto Kan and Ichiro Ozawa are both candidates of the Sept. 14 party election for the DPJ leadership. Photo:Xinhua

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan is leading heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa in the run-up to the ruling Democratic Party of Japan's leadership election on September 14, according to a poll released here on Friday.

Kan, the current party president, is leading his challenger Ozawa among DPJ local assembly members as well as general supporters, although the two are running neck and neck among DPJ members of Diet (parliament), a Kyodo News survey said.

Kyodo News said the results were based on direct interviews with lawmakers and information from both sides.

Kan and Ozawa will compete for a total of 1,222 points among the party's 411 Diet members, 2,382 local assembly members across the country and around 340,000 general supporters of the DPJ, it said.

The winner of the DPJ leadership election will become Japan's next prime minister as the DPJ holds a majority in the more powerful House of Representatives.