Japan's ruling party lawmakers vote to elect new leader

By Saadet Gokce

ISTANBUL (AA) - Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) national legislature lawmakers cast ballots Saturday in the leadership race.

Members of the Diet party concluded voting Friday, with results expected after 2 pm (0500GMT), according to the Nikkei Asia website.

Five candidates are running, including former Internal Affairs Minister Sanae Takaichi, Farm Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, as well as the former Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and former Economic Security Minister Takayuki Kobayashi.

Takaichi, Koizumi and Hayashi are the favored candidates, according to polls.

The preliminary results show that Takaichi is leading party member votes.

It is not expected that any of the candidates will secure a spot in the first round, which will likely lead to a second round.

LDP began its campaign Sept. 22.

The leadership vote, originally scheduled for 2027, was moved forward after Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced his resignation Sept. 7, after the coalition’s defeat in July’s upper house elections.

He will remain prime minister until the party selects a new leader.

The next president of the party is highly likely to become Japan's next prime minister, although the LDP-led coalition does not hold a majority in parliament.

The government and the LDP are reportedly planning to hold an extraordinary parliamentary session Oct. 14 or later to select Ishiba's successor after the party's presidential election Saturday.

Since Shinzo Abe's assassination in 2022, LDP leadership has been under pressure because of scandals, including one involving a slush fund.