The Liberal Democratic Party said Wednesday it is aiming to raise public interest in its fall leadership race to choose a successor to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

The pledge is part of the LDP's 2006 policy paper "Accelerating Reform," adopted at its annual convention in Tokyo.

"For the public to actually feel they are participating in the election that is directly connected to (choosing the next) prime minister, (the party) must develop an active, open and appropriate policy debate for choosing the leader of a new era," the paper says.