The rout of the Democratic Party of Japan in the Sept. 11 Lower House election raises the question: Will it be able to recoup its losses and make itself strong enough to snatch power from the Liberal Democratic Party?

Seiji Maehara, the 43-year-old new leader of the DPJ, wants to develop the party into a "fighting organization." For this purpose, he says, "We must free ourselves from the fetters of vested interests and old habits."

In doing so, the DPJ faces a daunting challenge: asserting political leadership over the trade unions that form a major support base for the Democrats.