(MENAFN) Japan’s governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) wrapped up its internal voting among party members on Friday as part of its leadership election, with lawmakers from the national legislature set to cast their ballots on Saturday, according to reports.

The party officially launched its leadership campaign on September 22. The vote, initially scheduled for 2027, was moved forward after Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced his resignation on September 7, following the coalition’s loss in July’s upper house elections. He will continue to serve as prime minister until the party elects his successor on Saturday.

The individual chosen as party president is widely expected to assume the role of Japan’s next prime minister, despite the LDP-led coalition lacking a parliamentary majority. Meanwhile, reports suggest that the three main opposition parties, although collectively holding a majority, are struggling to agree on a unified candidate.

Following the party election, the government and LDP are reportedly planning an extraordinary parliamentary session on October 14 or later to confirm Ishiba’s successor.

In current polling, former Internal Affairs Minister Sanae Takaichi and Farm Minister Shinjiro Koizumi are leading, trailed by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, former Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, and former Economic Security Minister Takayuki Kobayashi. Observers expect that no candidate will achieve a decisive victory in the initial round, likely necessitating a second round of voting.

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