Former Health and Welfare Minister Junichiro Koizumi was running far ahead of his main competitor, former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, in the LDP presidential primaries Sunday, virtually assuring his victory to replace Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori on Tuesday.
It seems Hashimoto is in danger of becoming what has been a rare person in the LDP's 45-year history -- one who leads the party's largest faction but fails to win its presidency.
Observing the landslide to Koizumi's favor, the LDP's Eto-Kamei faction, which is supporting LDP policy chief Shizuka Kamei in the race, is expected to switch soon to back Koizumi to have a better chance of maintaining power in the new government.