The two candidates vying for the presidency of the nation's largest opposition party faced reporters in their first debate Tuesday, with media outlets saying former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara has already won the support of a majority of the Democratic Party's Diet members.

During the debate, former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano, who is trying to win the support of local chapters and general voters, pledged to establish better channels of communication at the local level. He also argued that the Democratic Party should not "pander to a mass audience" and should instead focus on running a grass-roots campaign aimed at rank-and-file supporters.

"We should start with this election by apologizing to local assembly members and supporters who expected much from the DP," Edano said.