LDP candidates make their pitch in final debate before party chooses Abe's successor

The three candidates vying for the top position in the Liberal Democratic Party entered the final stretch of the campaign Saturday, attempting to successfully pitch their policies and get the public on their side in the last major debate before the leadership contest Monday.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and LDP Policy Council Chairman Fumio Kishida took part in the debate organized by the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo.

The winner will almost certainly become the successor to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who decided late last month that he would step down due to a chronic illness, bringing his administration, the longest in the country's history, to an end.