New Ldp Leader To Be Announced Soon
Members of Japan's main ruling Liberal Democratic Party are deciding who will lead them. The vote also effectively decides who will be the country's prime minister after Abe Shinzo steps down.
Three political veterans are hoping to take the helm: Former LDP Secretary-General Ishiba Shigeru, Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide, and LDP policy chief Kishida Fumio.
As NHK has been reporting, Suga held a comfortable lead throughout the campaign.
535 votes were up for grabs. Whichever candidate achieved a simple majority will win. Sitting party lawmakers made up nearly 400 ballots.
The remainder comes from the party's prefectural chapters, each with three votes.
During the campaign, party members heard whether each candidate plans to follow Abe's policies - or take off in a direction all his own.
They debated how to tackle the coronavirus, rebuild the economy and revitalize shrinking rural communities.
