Democratic Party of Japan heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa confirmed Tuesday he will run for DPJ president and thus prime minister, dashing party hopes that an internal power struggle can be avoided before the Sept. 14 election.

The race between Ozawa and Kan, the current DPJ president, is likely to leave a deep chasm among party members and destabilize the administration.

After days of concern over the impact of a head-to-head clash, the two failed to reach a backroom agreement to pave the way for Kan's uncontested re-election as party chief.