(MENAFN) Japan’s governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) finished its internal member voting for the leadership contest on Friday, with legislators from the national Diet set to cast their votes on Saturday.

The LDP initiated its leadership campaign on September 22.

Originally planned for 2027, the leadership election was expedited following Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s resignation announcement on September 7, which came after the coalition’s loss in the July upper house elections.

Ishiba will continue as prime minister until the party appoints a new leader on Saturday.
The incoming party president is widely anticipated to become Japan’s next prime minister, despite the fact that the LDP-led coalition lacks a parliamentary majority.

Although the three main opposition parties possess a majority, they are reportedly fragmented over agreeing on a unified candidate, according to a news agency on Tuesday, referencing an insider familiar with the situation.

The government and the LDP are reportedly aiming to convene an extraordinary parliamentary session on or after October 14 to officially choose Ishiba’s replacement following the party’s leadership election on Saturday.

Leading the polls are former Internal Affairs Minister Sanae Takaichi and Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, trailed by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, former Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, and former Economic Security Minister Takayuki Kobayashi.

No candidate is expected to achieve a majority in the initial round, which is likely to trigger a runoff vote.

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