About 40 freshman Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers gathered Tuesday afternoon to express support for Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe in the party's presidential election on Sept. 20.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>Meanwhile, some 20 lawmakers from a separate group of 37 freshmen met in the morning but failed to agree on whether they should jointly back Abe's candidacy, although most reportedly do.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>Participants in the afternoon meeting included high-profile scholar Kuniko Inoguchi, former bureaucrat Satsuki Katayama and Hirotaka Ishihara, son of Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>'As individuals, we want to support the candidate of our choice,' said Tadayoshi Nagashima, the first-year lawmaker who proposed the meeting.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>'And –

would like to entrust (the post of) party president to Abe, to be the leader of a new LDP, and a new Japan."

Abe, who attended the meeting, expressed his appreciation for the support and said he looks forward to the election.

"We must not stop the reform," said Abe, who has yet to declare his candidacy. "If we stop the reform, the (LDP) has no future in the next election. . . . A fighting politician is someone who will change the party, the world and Japan."

The meeting ended with the participants shouting their support for Abe.