The Liberal Democratic Party will hold its long-awaited presidential election on April 24 to select the successor to Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, LDP Secretary General Makoto Koga said Thursday.
The LDP's largest faction has decided, however, not to field former LDP Secretary General Hiromu Nonaka, a potentially strong candidate for the presidential race, an influential member of the group told reporters on condition of anonymity.
The decision is expected to lead the faction, which is led by former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, to support Hashimoto if it does not back another candidate.